TTD03 wrote:
cool5, Shockwave is a piece of garbage, and someone's restraints opened up once going up the lifthill.
LuckyK wrote:
That DID happen on Shockwave actually. The restraints did not lock and a girl climbed out on the catwalk walk as it was going up the hill. She didn't die and wasn't hurt, but her restraint came open on the lift hill.
TTD03 wrote:
Referring to my comment about the lift hill.
"Less than two weeks later on September 2, 1999, a 13-year-old boy, concerned that he was not properly fastened into his restraints, intentionally slipped out of them as the train was ascending the lift hill. He jumped onto the adjacent maintenance catwalk and escaped serious injury."
Didn't know about that one, but I looked into it.
You both stated that the restraints opened on the lift hill and that is not what happened. He was not properly secured before the train left the station and there is a significant difference between restraints opening once the ride is in motion, and improperly fastened restraints. One is a problem with the coaster, the other is a problem with the operators. After a little time researching this event I found reports that the boy and several others tried to alert staff to a problem before the coaster left the station, and he got off the coaster on the lift hill. This was an operators fault and could have happened on any coaster, and has. The Texas Giant killed a lady last summer when operators failed to ensure she was secure in the restraints, even when alerted by the guest that it wasn't properly latched. I don't think she should have ever have been allowed to ride, however, she was a rather large lady and I'm not sure the restraints were built to handle someone her size. Still an operator error, but a different error.
I don't know how the college student got out of his restraints mid-ride, but they were locked in place when the train returned to the station. Knowing college age males, I'd say it's a safe bet he was doing something stupid to impress his friends.
I hate Shockwave as much as anybody, and can't wait for it to go away, but it's the most reliable coaster at KD. It's not unsafe, I just don't think it's a very good ride. The events are tragic and scary, but it doesn't mean the ride is unsafe anymore than the lady having a brain aneurism on Dominator makes it unsafe. It means the operators are just going through the motions on cruise control and it's time to rotate them out for a while.
Shockwave has it's share of problems, but safety isn't one of them.