Kansas lawmaker's son killed on world's largest water slide

[Starman]

Because if something bad happens, somebody in government could have prevented it.

Government regulation can't solve all problems, so we better make sure it doesn't solve any.

 

[Batman]

I'd be more secure knowing the bolts were just done that afternoon, rather than the permanent ones, where the bolt was set three years ago and hasn't been checked since.

Every reputable amusement park has every ride inspected and signed off on, every morning, by a maintenance crew. They might not check every bolt in microscopic detail, but they do walk the track on roller coasters and know the rides well enough to check for trouble spots, and to notice if anything is amiss. There are also redundancies built in for safety systems. On roller coasters, for example, it's almost impossible for a car to fly off the track because there's 20 wheels under the train keeping it on track. When the power goes out with a train on the lift, there are mechanical devices that catch it and keep it from rolling backward.
If all that's keeping someone from a fun ride and being decapitated is a piece of wet, decaying velcro, the park needs to be shut down ASAP and sued into oblivion.

Schlitterbahn has five water parks. If Verrückt was a success in Kansas City, they're probably going to build one in their other parks (or sell them to other parks) in states where regulations might be tighter. That's not likely to happen if this thing isn't safe on a conceptual level. Pushing the envelope is good business. Decapitating your patrons is bad business.

Most accidents, too, are the fault of the rider. People doing dumb stuff they shouldn't be. It sounds like this ride might have been a little dicey in its conception and engineering, but keep in mind it did operate daily for two years without decapitating or severely injuring anyone (as far as we know). So what happened here to make things go so horribly wrong? What made this different than the hundreds of other rafts that went down the slide -- even some where the velcro straps came loose and didn't eject the riders?
There's some serious questions that need to be answered before blindly lashing out at the park owners, the ride itself, or the state of Kansas.

 

[HanSenSE]

Great America in the Bay Area had a bad stretch about 15 years ago -- I want to say three deaths in two years or something. The reporting revealed that permanent amusement parks have much lower (i.e. basically zero) safety standards from the state, while the traveling carnivals are regulated much more heavily. I've always felt safer on the carnival rides since then.

Also I remember a new overtime bill in Missouri in the '90s that specifically exempted amusement parks from the 40-hour rule.

There is a powerful lobby in that industry.

There was also a death at a water park in the East Bay about 30 years ago. It was hosting a senior class picnic and a large group dogpiled for the last ride of the day.

 

[murphyc]

Velcro-type straps on the harnesses there? Holy shirt. That stuff wears thin. Why would they not have sturdy buckle harnesses? (For the record, the straps were not Velcro brand.)

Negligent as heck. Multiple reports of similar harness problems previously.

Tough questions arise about design, safety of Schlitterbahn's Verrückt

Yeah, the velcro mention jumped out at me as well. Plus the stories of past issues, the unexplained delays in the ride opening two years ago and why a 10-year-old was allowed to ride. One article I read mentioned there used to be a 14-year-old minimum, but apparently that was changed (or at least waived in this case).

 

[doctorquant]

... keep in mind it did operate daily for two years without decapitating or severely injuring anyone (as far as we know). So what happened here to make things go so horribly wrong?

I'm sure there's a state or federal regulator somewhere who: A) knew this was going to happen; B) knew exactly why this was going to happen; C) knew exactly how to prevent this from happening; but D) was stymied by some Ayn Rand type. [/starman]

 

[Ace]

I'm sure there's a state or federal regulator somewhere who: A) knew this was going to happen; B) knew exactly why this was going to happen; C) knew exactly how to prevent this from happening; but D) was stymied by some Ayn Rand type. [/starman]

Great movie pitch, doc. I'm in.

 

[three_bags_full]

I read a quote somewhere that several of the rafts were duct taped in several places.

 

[Double Down]

It's sad to think that we had a running thread about how California was America's first failed state, and then Kansas not only took a surprising lead, it lapped the field.

 

[dixiehack]

It's sad to think that we had a running thread about how California was America's first failed state, and then Kansas not only took a surprising lead, it lapped the field.

Louisiana has something to say about that and Alabama is closing hard in the clubhouse turn.

 

[PCLoadLetter]

I'd be more secure knowing the bolts were just done that afternoon, rather than the permanent ones, where the bolt was set three years ago and hasn't been checked since.

Yeah, the bolts were done this morning by some cranked-out carny, twitching and grinding his teeth.

I used to work at Disneyland. Knowing how they operate, I would go on any ride at a Disney park without a second's hesitation over safety.

I will not go on a ride at a carnival that I'm not willing to fly out of.

 

[Smash Williams]

Velcro-type harnesses were likely used because of the (unlikely) chance of a raft flipping and trapping a rider underwater. Velcro is easy enough to rip apart in an emergency, like not drowning, and it's also easy for someone else to open up from almost any angle. Any type of more complicated buckle risks a person not being able to undo it while struggling underwater and takes a lot more concerted effort from a potential rescuer.

 

[Riptide]

"In the unlikely event of a water landing ... "