Current:Home > MyA roller coaster was shut down after a crack was found in a support beam. A customer says he spotted it. -ProfitQuest Academy
A roller coaster was shut down after a crack was found in a support beam. A customer says he spotted it.
View
Date:2025-04-14 19:09:26
An amusement park in Charlotte, North Carolina, closed one of its roller coasters Friday after a crack was found on a support beam.
Carowinds shut down Fury 325, which the park's website advertises as the "tallest, fastest, longest giga coaster in North America" that crosses into both North Carolina and South Carolina.
Video of the ride showed the crack in the beam as cars packed with riders whizzed by.
Park patron Jeremy Wagner told CBS Charlotte, N.C. affiliate WBTV he was the one who spotted the crack and took the video.
He said he was waiting for his kids to finish one last ride on the coaster when, "I look up and I see a light come through the pole."
When the next car came by, he pulled out his phone and videoed it.
Wagner told WBTV what he saw when he played it back sent a shock through his chest.
"When the car came by," he said, "I saw (the beam) move."
Posted by Jeremy Wagner on Friday, June 30, 2023
(Credit: Jeremy Wagner via Storyful)
He told The New York Times that as he was shooting the video, "My hands were shaking because I knew how quick this could be catastrophic."
Wagner told WBTV he immediately showed the video to park security to have them shut the ride but didn't get a clear answer on whether park officials would. But Wagner eventually called the fire department and learned that his video did indeed prompt the shutdown of the Fury.
"My heart was like relieved because I was just afraid ... are they gonna do the right thing? I just didn't want to see something bad happen," he remarked to WBTV.
"It takes one time, just one time" for tragedy to strike, he said.
Tiffany Collins Newton told CBS News that on June 24, she took a photo that appeared to show "the beginnings of the crack" on the roller coaster. She said she did not notice the crack until after the ride was closed on Friday and she zoomed in on her recent photos.
The park said in a statement that it shut the ride "after park personnel became aware of a crack at the top of a steel support pillar. The park's maintenance team is conducting a thorough inspection and the ride will remain closed until repairs have been completed. Safety is our top priority and we appreciate the patience and understanding of our valued guests during this process.
"As part of our comprehensive safety protocols," the statement continued, "all rides, including Fury 325, undergo daily inspections to ensure their proper functioning and structural integrity."
Fury 325 first opened to the public in 2015 and cost approximately $30 million to build, according to news reports.
Carowinds didn't say how long repairs would take. The rest of the park will remain open.
State officials said they were going to inspect the ride Monday.
veryGood! (39747)
Related
- Alex Murdaugh’s murder appeal cites biased clerk and prejudicial evidence
- South Dakota legislator calls for inquiry into Gov. Noem’s Texas dental trip and promo video
- A proposal to merge 2 universities fizzles in the Mississippi Senate
- Michigan shooter's father James Crumbley declines to testify at involuntary manslaughter trial
- Meet first time Grammy nominee Charley Crockett
- Kemp signs Georgia law reviving prosecutor sanctions panel. Democrats fear it’s aimed at Fani Willis
- Olivia Munn Shares She Underwent Double Mastectomy Amid Breast Cancer Battle
- Paul Alexander, Who Spent 70 Years in an Iron Lung, Dead at 78
- Tarte Shape Tape Concealer Sells Once Every 4 Seconds: Get 50% Off Before It's Gone
- Trump blasts Biden over Laken Riley’s death after Biden says he regrets using term ‘illegal’
Ranking
- Meta releases AI model to enhance Metaverse experience
- RHONY's Brynn Whitfield Shares Hacks To Look Good Naked, Get Rid of Cellulite & Repair Hair Damage
- Early results show lower cancer rates than expected among Air Force nuclear missile personnel
- TikTok's fate in the U.S. hangs in the balance. What would the sale of the popular app mean?
- Intel's stock did something it hasn't done since 2022
- 1 dead and 1 missing after kayak overturns on Connecticut lake
- Wendy's introduces new Orange Dreamsicle Frosty flavor to kick off Spring
- Michigan woman’s handpicked numbers win $1M on Powerball. She found out on Facebook.
Recommendation
Man can't find second winning lottery ticket, sues over $394 million jackpot, lawsuit says
Hunter Biden declines GOP invitation to testify publicly before House committee
Neti pots, nasal rinsing linked to another dangerous amoeba. Here's what to know.
2024 NFL free agency updates: Tracker for Wednesday buzz, notable moves as new league year begins
Tree trimmer dead after getting caught in wood chipper at Florida town hall
Gulf Coast Petrochemical Buildout Draws Billions in Tax Breaks Despite Pollution Violations
Eugene Levy talks 'The Reluctant Traveler' Season 2, discovering family history
Ukrainian ministers ‘optimistic’ about securing U.S. aid, call for repossession of Russian assets