On Thursday night, a Daytona Beach Roller Coaster derailed. Two passengers plummeted 34 feet while the other riders remained suspended in the air. The Daytona Beach Boardwalk attracts many tourists and locals. The boardwalk’s reputation consists of hosting the Daytona 500 NASCAR race, fun rides, restaurants, and of course their beach. Yet this horrific accident currently overshadows Daytona’s fun reputation.
The Sand Blaster arrived at Daytona Beach in 2013. Before that, the boardwalk purchased the forty-year-old ride from a Delaware park that had closed. The ride consists of steep drops and turns that slightly turns in the coaster inwards. Within the three-car train, four people sit in each cart with only a metal lap bar to protect them.
DAYTONA BEACH ROLLER COASTER HOSPITALIZES SIX PASSENGERS.
Ten passengers were on the ride Thursday night, and six of them now hospitalized in Halifax Hospital. Since the responders quickly arrived, they managed to rescue the passengers before the dangling cart had a chance of falling. Sasha Staton, Fire Department spokesperson, commented:
Firefighters had to get ladders on ground. We have a tech rescue team specializing in high rise rescues. They were the ones that successfully removed the two dangling riders to the ground. It was definitely chaotic and time-sensitive. We didn’t want the dangling car to fall any further.”
Later on, Florida’s Department of Agriculture and Consumer Service’s spokesperson, Jennifer Meale, addressed their concerns.
First and foremost, we’re concerned about the individuals… Their well-being and recovery are of the utmost importance. Just yesterday, department inspectors conducted a thorough inspection of the ride, and it was found in compliance with state law. We have launched an investigation to determine the cause of the accident, and anyone who should be held accountable will be held accountable.”
#DBFD Removing riders from rollercoaster pic.twitter.com/ilFDDeikra
— DaytonaBeachFireDept (@DaytonaBeachFD) June 15, 2018
Officials mentioned that a safety inspected was conducted several hours before the accident. Because of the circumstances, people are wondering why did the roller coaster derail if workers inspected it? In addition, no deaths have occurred.
Photo: Max Pixel
