Current:Home > NewsA roller coaster was shut down after a crack was found in a support beam. A customer says he spotted it. -Golden Summit Finance
A roller coaster was shut down after a crack was found in a support beam. A customer says he spotted it.
Indexbit Exchange View
Date:2025-04-08 01:49:03
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! (18)
Related
- Appeals court scraps Nasdaq boardroom diversity rules in latest DEI setback
- Hunter Biden’s lawyers say claims about foreign business dealing have no place in upcoming tax trial
- Hunter Biden’s lawyers say claims about foreign business dealing have no place in upcoming tax trial
- In 60-year-old Tim Walz, Kamala Harris found a partner to advocate for reproductive rights
- Military service academies see drop in reported sexual assaults after alarming surge
- Maine can now order employers to pay workers damages for missed wages
- Georgia lawmaker accused of DUI after crash with bicyclist says he was not intoxicated or on drugs
- Elle King Explains Why Rob Schneider Was a Toxic Dad
- As Trump Enters Office, a Ripe Oil and Gas Target Appears: An Alabama National Forest
- Will Katie Ledecky Compete at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics? She Says...
Ranking
- The Super Bowl could end in a 'three
- USWNT wins its fifth Olympic gold medal in women’s soccer with a 1-0 victory over Brazil in final
- Robert Tucker, the head of a security firm, is named fire commissioner of New York City
- Jennie Garth Details “Daily Minefield” of Navigating Menopause
- SFO's new sensory room helps neurodivergent travelers fight flying jitters
- Blink Fitness, an affordable gym operator owned by Equinox, files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy
- A'ja Wilson had NSFW answer to describe Kahleah Copper's performance in gold medal game
- Powerball winning numbers for August 10 drawing: Jackpot now worth $212 million
Recommendation
Tarte Shape Tape Concealer Sells Once Every 4 Seconds: Get 50% Off Before It's Gone
Horoscopes Today, August 10, 2024
Cowboys owner Jerry Jones to holdout CeeDee Lamb: 'You're missed'
In 60-year-old Tim Walz, Kamala Harris found a partner to advocate for reproductive rights
Paula Abdul settles lawsuit with former 'So You Think You Can Dance' co
Early Harris-Walz rallies feature big crowds, talk of ‘joy’ and unsolicited GOP counterprogramming
Utility worker electrocuted after touching live wire working on power pole in Mississippi
Millie Bobby Brown Includes Nod to Jake Bongiovi Marriage on Stranger Things Set