6-year-old girl dies on Colorado amusement park ride

[mahatmakanejeeves]

Source: CBS News

6-year-old girl dies on Colorado amusement park ride

BY JORDAN FREIMAN

UPDATED ON: SEPTEMBER 6, 2021 / 6:20 PM / CBS NEWS

A 6-year-old girl died Sunday on a ride at the Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park in Glenwood Springs, Colorado, CBS Denver reports. The incident occurred on the Haunted Mine Drop attraction, according to the park.

The victim was visiting the park with her family, who are from Colorado Springs, according to the Garfield County Sheriff's Office. Walt Stowe, a spokesman for the Garfield County Sheriff's Office, said Monday that officials are investigating the accident, CBS Denver reports.

Garfield County Coroner Robert Glassmire said park employees initiated first aid until paramedics arrived and determined the girl had died, according to The Associated Press.

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The park announced it would be closed Monday and Tuesday as a result of the girl's death.

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Read more: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/glenwood-caverns-death-6-year-old-dies-colorado/

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Hat tip, the ABC TV Evening News

[Rorey]

1. Horrible!!!

So heartbreaking.

[iluvtennis]

2. OMG, this is so tragic. Fingers crossed more safety rules/regulations are put in place. n/t

[leftieNanner]

3. The article says you have to be 46" tall to ride

Not many 6 year olds are that tall, I don't think.

Regulations don't do much if they're not followed.

[iluvtennis]

4. Yep, I read the 46" requirement. The amusement parks in California have the height measurement

right at entry to board the ride,you have to stand neext to it and if you don't meet it, you're bounced out of line -- at least that's been my experience.

[leftieNanner]

5. Mine too

If that is the case with this situation, that amusement park will be sued to oblivion by the family.

[cstanleytech]

10. I would say that whoever was accompanying the child shares in it as well

as the height requirement signs and rules for the varies rides are usually pretty visible.

[markpkessinger]

7. Actually, it is within normal range for a six-year-old . . .

Average height for six-year-olds, both boys and girls, is 42-49 inches. (Source: https://childrenswi.org/medical-care/adolescent-health-and-medicine/issues-and-concerns/adolescent-growth-and-development/normal-growth)

[leftieNanner]

8. Thanks for the information nt

[littlemissmartypants]

12. I love facts. Thanks, markpkessinger.

[Gore1FL]

9. I was on Xcalibur the first year it was at Six Flags St. Louis

A woman boarded with a small child despite the height requirement. I pointed out to her that he son was in danger, and she, thankfully, removed him.

He'd have probably been OK, but damn. No one was watching.

[pnwmom]

6. In July in Iowa, an 11 year old boy died on a water ride, and his brother was left in a coma.

https://abcnews.go.com/US/parents-speak-11-year-son-killed-amusement-park/story?id=78684162

The Jaramillos had gone on several other rides before getting in line for the Raging River at Adventureland Park, a family-owned amusement park in Altoona, a suburb of Iowa's capital city, Des Moines. The parents boarded a raft with their 15-year-old son, David; their 14-year-old son, August; their 11-year-old son, Michael; and their niece, Nyla. As they buckled their seatbelts and embarked on the river rapids ride, their tube suddenly flipped over, leaving them all trapped underwater.

"I see the silhouettes of my sons trying to grab each other, grab us," the father recalled. "They want us to help them. We couldn't do it."


Both parents as well as one of their sons and their niece ultimately managed to break free and swim to the surface. But David and Michael were still stuck, and no one could reach them.

"I'm drowning," the father said. "The river was so intense, it was like a suction."

The 16 year old boy in the coma survived.

https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/2021/08/03/adventureland-iowa-accident-survivor-david-jaramillo-released-hospital-raging-river-death-des-moines/5467732001/

One month ago, no one knew whether David Jaramillo would live or die.

He nearly drowned when a raft he was riding overturned on the Raging River ride at Adventureland Park July 3. His 11-year-old brother Michael did not survive.

But Tuesday — after more than four weeks at Des Moines' Blank Children's Hospital and prayers from family, friends and strangers across the county — the 16-year-old Marion boy went home.

[ShazzieB]

11. I remember reading about that.

I thought of it right away when I saw this story.

I feel like some of the people who design thrill rides are starting to push the envelope a little too much in the quest to come up with rides that are more and more exciting and/or scary (depending on your point of view). I understand the urge to try and top what's been done before, but the laws of physics remain the same, and there ARE limits.

[iemanja]

13. This is why I hate amusement rides.

[Steelrolled]

14. Safety is a huge part of the design of rides like this, for obvious reasons.

I will be interested to find out what happened.

Here's a video about this ride:

[MrsMatt]

15. the ride was designed without shoulder harnesses

to enhance the experience.

https://www.denverpost.com/2021/09/07/glenwood-caverns-fatal-accident-shoulder-harness/

[pfitz59]

16. Lawsuits galore

No shoulder harness... bad idea...