Ive been to my fair share of sketchy carnivals and amusement parks. As with most things about my childhood, later on in life I began questioning if the wild things I saw that day could possibly be true. On a test run, the track broke, and the ball continued to roll down the mountain and right across a highway. The only problem? In 1991, two people met God on the exact same day due to completely different issues with the park. But we havent even touched on Motor World. When I recently saw an old ad on YouTube, it reminded me exactly how I felt the first moment I discovered the parks existence: I was desperate, begging my mom to let me go to Vernon, New Jersey, as soon as humanly possible. As the injuries and violence piled up, news reports started to spread. Following this incident, investigations revealed that park operators had concealed their knowledge of the slides design flaws, violated engineering standards, and knowingly sent riders onto a deadly contraption. The worker was seriously injured, as was the passenger. Several different theories were offered up, with explosions, fires, crashes, or even a simple power outage all being blamed for the deaths. if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'everything80spodcast_com-banner-1','ezslot_7',106,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-everything80spodcast_com-banner-1-0'); Action Park was in full force going into the 80s. The ride called, "Shoot the Rapids" malfunctioned and injured several people back in 2013. While there have been no major injuries reported at this park, it's only a matter of time before something goes wrong. The trauma of it all only made me want to go more. After minutes of sitting on the track, anticipating the stomach-dropping sensation to come, riders realized there was an issue. A Brand New, World-Class Dark Ride Quietly Opened in the U.S. It was now just a regularand very safewater park. The leading independent voice for aviation news and insight. This two-passenger ride consisted of a small metal cage, long cables, and supporting metal poles. Enticed by what they were hearing, even more questionable youth started to show up. Although she lives out of state, she makes frequent trips to the Orlando parks. (In fact, his son Andy writes about being the original test rider in his new book on Action Park.) Topsy-turvy rollercoasters can turn a person's stomach alone, but three years' worth of health inspections found food safety to be a problem here. Even if you tried to sue the park, you probably werent going to end up with much because the insurance company wasnt even real. Andy, who released a book about Action Park this year, spent his youth working in the park, which consisted of three themed areas. While most amusement parks discontinue dangerous rides like Thunder River Rapids, its still important to know how to safely take your kids to amusement parks. That's seriously fast to be swaying especially given the fact that there's a 1,300-foot drop below. It's responsible for taking out a double amputee war veteran in 2011. It definitely beheaded dummies during test runs. But that wasnt the main problem: the water was actually freezing cold spring water with live trout in it. Naturally, this has resulted in numerous incidents at SCAD Towers around the world (including a 12-year-old girl who suffered multiple fractures, a brain injury, and was paralyzed for several years) , due to the nets being at the wrong height, not deployed at all, or people missing the net entirely. At its most romantic, Action Park is remembered as this freedom fantasy land, Porges says. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Most infamous of all the rides was the famed Cannonball Loop, a water slide with an enclosed loop in it. Rules arent just being avoidedtheyre not even being enforced. Go Karts were being taken by staff out onto the nearby highway. At the end of the journey, assuming everything ran smoothly, the rafts would slide onto a conveyor belt, climbing a short slope to the exit. By the time the mid-90s rolled around, there was a whole new world of legalities and regulations. It's one of the most popular amusement parks in the world, but people might think twice after hearing about dangerous working conditions. A man was struck by a metal plate and never recovered. Across the pond, M&D's Motherwell theme park was fined over a ride crash. Yep, people actually met there end thanks to the poor safety management at the park,according to RideAccidents. People living near the Disneyland park was not satisfied with. Castles N' Coasters is a popular amusement park in Arizona. According to his son, Andy Mulvihill, the idea was to apply the idea behind ski resorts - increasingly challenging and risky attractions - to a theme park. It was a park run by teenagers, for teenagers. Flash forward a few decades and Im an adult with access to the internet and a phone. How about rides that try to replicate the speed and action of downhill skiing? Hint: It might be by foot. But kids were finding the gas tanks and lighting the balls on fire to shoot them. I swam all around, trying to find the surface, but there was just darkness everywhere, and I couldnt get my bearings, he tells me. It turns out many of the carts were broken, so the brakes would do nothing. Finally, we're back to Walt Disney World, with the ride you'd think would be least likely to ever turn rogue: the Monorail. Mulvihill could do whatever he wanted. We had playground/climbing equipment at our schools that were absolute death traps. This is the 80s, so they didnt have to disclose their injury reports, only the most serious. A park like this wouldnt last two minutes today, but remember: this was the 80s. Stuff like the slide was designed on a napkin. Sometimes right underneath you. The most important rule was to not let go too soon or youd land on cement. Discover Where to Coast with the Ultimate Rollercoaster database of roller coasters and amusement parks. Then, others were coming out all cut up. If you were a kid who grew up in the tri-state area in the 1980s and 1990s, just hearing the words Action Park will unleash a flood of memories as overwhelming as the parks infamous wave pool, affectionately known as the grave pool. The popular theme park featured rides so unsafe they seemed almost designed to injure. Im 6-foot-5 and was built like a stick back then, he says. Some places Ive been to werent trying to create the illusion: they were genuinely unsafe. The constant news reports about the danger and accidents at the park caused people to turn away. The 19-year old employees death is detailed by the website rideaccidents.com. He quickly added go-carts and waterslides, eventually ending up with around 75 attractions by the mid-1980s. Afterward, the park was evacuated for about 20 minutes. Cannonball Loop: The Infamous Action Park Loop Slide In 2014, Schlitterbahn Waterpark in Kansas City was racing to produce the worlds largest water slide to be featured on the showXtreme Waterparks. Read next: Stuck in quarantine, these guys built roller-coasters in their backyards. Riders would feel the adrenaline pulsing through their veins as they shot down the sharp slope, with a German name that literally translates to insane.. The other problem was that Action Park was a big part of the local economy. People were bleeding all over the place, Susie McKeown, a visitor of the park during its operative years, told the New York Times. Andy Mulvihill characterized Action Park in its heyday: Where else in the world could you drive a race car, a speedboat, a tank, go bungee jumping, fly, take a water slide with a jump or a water slide with a 360 degree inverted loop?, Rape survivor slams Gabby Petito Utah cop over handling of her case, 'Dark details' about boyfriend of US swim champ who mysteriously died, Disturbing red flags of Lindsay Clancy's psychosis before she 'killed 3 kids', Mysterious powder swamps US skies as residents report dust-covered cars, 2020 THE SUN, US, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED | TERMS OF USE | PRIVACY | YOUR AD CHOICES | SITEMAP, Action Park gained infamy for its extremely high rate of injuries and deaths, Drownings, broken bones, bruises, and bleeding were all commonplace at the amusement park, According to the son of the park's founder, the dangers Action Park presented were a side effect of the park's thrilling appeal, The Tarzan swing had visitors thrown into freezing water, which could cause shock, One user of the Tarzan Swing suffered a heart attack in 1984, One former employee said that the pool underneath the Cliff Dive was painted white - to make finding dead bodies easier, An attendee once died while on a kayaking ride after stepping out of his boat, onto a live wire, The terrifying Cannonball loop propelled those brave enough to ride it so fast that their teeth often became stuck in the wall of the tube, A newer design for the cannonball loop, which was never actually built, The ominously-nicknamed Grave Pool required up to 30 rescues per day, and three people drowned in it, Andy Mulvihill explained that many of the deaths occurred because inexperienced swimmers ignored the risks of entering the water, Although many daredevils happily returned for repeat visits, the park would occasionally give out free passes, The park appealed to some daring customers, but scared off others, Action Park was sold in 1996, and subsequently the dangerous attractions were scaled back significantly. In 2002, a park employee was kicked in the head by a dangling rider, while in 2008 a teenager trying to sneak into the park was actually decapitated after being hit by the ride. If you grew up in the 70s and 80s, you know how we were probably the last generation where parents just didnt give a crap. Finally, someone asked if this was safe. Carley Lerner is a freelance writer and former editorial intern for Reader's Digest. Three years later, a power outage at Luna Park brought the roller coaster to abrupt stop along its journey, and riders were once again obliged to walk down the steep steps that line the track. The biggest difference between Action Park and other theme parks was that kids often have a fear of rides, but everything usually turns out fine. Anyone who thought up an idea had a genuine shot of seeing it created. In particular, Disney World in Florida has had some pretty awful things happen, including that very publicized event with the alligator. It seems like a fairly safe place, but after hearing abouta tree branch falling on the rails of a roller coaster ride and derailing the coaster's car, that's enough for anyone to want to stay away. Most if not all theme park visitors plan a vacation with safety in mind. Unofficially known as Class Action Park, Traction Park and Accident Park, it was Lord of the Flies with a Jersey twist and a higher death count. This could be an excellent investment, as they could use it for skiing in the winter and recreation in the summer. Picture Lord of the Flies but with more sunscreen. A chair lift would take you to the top of the hill where you got on a little cart that had a stick to control braking and speed. Many of the riders had to fight to get their seatbelts undone while they were submerged underwater. People were driving wherever they wanted. Our theme park guides contain reviews and ratings of rides, restaurants and hotels at more than 80 theme parks worldwide. You get one of the most dangerous amusement parks of all time.if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[580,400],'everything80spodcast_com-box-3','ezslot_5',102,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-everything80spodcast_com-box-3-0'); Action Park was a water park in Vernon, New Jersey that ran from 1978 to 1996. We drank from rusty hoses and had to walk it off when we got hurt. Its not that lawsuits werent happening: they simply refused to settle. People were getting launched off the track. Even worse is the park's main wooden roller coaster which, according to Desert News, is responsible for even more awful events. What could possibly go wrong! What Other Night-Time Events Could Avengers: Power the Night Inspire at Disneyland Paris? As for Kimmels own experience: I got pressured into going on the Alpine Slide even though you took a chairlift to get up the mountain, and I was afraid of heights. Now, the users are rocketing down a hot concrete track wearing nothing but bathing suits. A lot of people have a fear of heights and a lot of people love the thrill; but after tragedy struck at a theme park in Santa Clara, people might be more afraid than not. Good thinking. Looking back, It seems pretty horrifying, but at the time, this was just par for the course. Riders were upside down for more than 10 minutes and later complained about various injuries. In the Documentary, they tell of kids being rammed and launched straight out of the ride. After suffering some minor road rash on the Alpine Slide, he became cautious about going on the more intimidating rides, especially the Geronimo Slide, a waterslide that was basically a vertical drop with sides so low park guests were warned not to move at all or they risked flying over. Despite its low speed, Disney's Monorail has been responsible for more accidents and injuries than most roller coasters. Deadly or not, teeth were often lost sometimes embedded in the top of the loop and it proved dangerous enough that it was only operational for about a month. She is a member of the Class of 2021 at Duke University, where she writes for the school newspaper, The Chronicle. Eventually, riders were forced to evacuate, clutching the railing tightly as they walked down the treacherous incline of the roller coaster. Compared to most thrilling roller coasters, this ride was not very steep, not very fast, and not very frightening. Rides werent properly maintained, and it wasnt uncommon to see bolts sticking out of the slides. Also, the staff was as young as 14, and around 17 on average. Despite the obvious consequences of hiding safety information from the public, there are still at least 13 secrets water parks wont tell you. Donald Trump even went to check out Action Park to see if it was worth investing in. if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'everything80spodcast_com-large-leaderboard-2','ezslot_10',107,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-everything80spodcast_com-large-leaderboard-2-0'); But, honestly, what kid wouldnt want to go to Action Park? In 1978, a new amusement and water park opened in Vernon Township, New Jersey in hopes of drawing more visitors to the Vernon Valley Ski Resort. They kept sending us free passes to go back so we went again but I was extremely cautious and only went on one ride a kayak where you simply paddled around a sort of lazy river, McKeown said. When I finally did go in the early 1990s, I quickly realized something wasnt right. Someone apparently broke their neck. A park worker was busy on his cell phone, dropped it, and ran into a moving passenger on one of the train cars. They pushed the idea that Vernon was going to become the new Orlando. With several crashes, at least two fires, and one death, the Monorail has spent nearly five decades racking up a deceptively high body count. Action Park 80's Live Action and Cannonball loop. C. The Hong Kong media. WELCOME to New Jersey's Action Park, the country's most dangerous attraction, which took the lives of several visitors in the decades after it opened in 1978. My elementary school had a gigantic steel spider web/cage-like creation. Here are the most dangerous amusement park rides at Action Park and other elements that made it so parlous. Operators quickly halted the ride, before the passengers could be flung untethered into the great beyond. But, according to the Amusement Safety Organization, at least six other major accidents were reported between 2006 and 2010. I remember thinking, Who designs amusement park rides? A. I began hearing the war stories of kids who had been. What could possibly go wrong? Located in Phoenix, this 10-acre park comes with four outdoor 18-hole miniature golf courses, several It wasnt just the water slides, there were other situations that could still cause injury. And happen they did a lot. The Cyclone climbs to85 feet high, includes 12 daunting drops, and speeds across the track at 60 miles per hour. So it's no surprise that this Six Flags roller coaster is among the world's deadliest. The owner of Action Park also had connections to some higher-up people, which seemed to lead to even fewer restraints. The water was so murky from a muddy runoff, human excrement, and open wounds, that it was almost impossible to see the bottom. He also experienced severe pain after going on the bungee jump in the early 1990s. I dont recall any type of CPR, compressions or anything, but I was on my way out if it wasnt for the guy who pulled me out., Mark, a 39-year-old who now lives in Oakland, had a memorable experience on the Tarzan Swing, a protozip line that you whipped down before dropping into wait for it frigid water. Not only did he have a company to prevent him from paying insurance, but he could also launder money through it. Which of the following will provide the largest amount of money? (In Action Parks defense, they did eventually add a canopy. 1:38. Everything was dangerous. Back in the late 1990s a ride broke down and gravely injured a little girl and injured eight others. Undoubtedly, Americas most dangerous amusement park remains nostalgic for those who spent their summers there as a kid. One event, in particular, was seriously crazy. Where were the lifeguards during all this, you ask? Sports Illustrated recently published a 3,300-word article under the headline, Remembering Action Park, Americas Most Dangerous, Daring Water Park. And in 2014, Cory Booker, a United States senator from New Jersey and a Democratic presidential candidate, wrote on Twitter, Ive got stories 2 tell. Now a documentary is on the way. Was Three Mile Island an Accident Waiting to Happen. if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'everything80spodcast_com-leader-1','ezslot_12',110,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-everything80spodcast_com-leader-1-0'); Great American Recreation eventually declared bankruptcy. Today we discuss the HBO documentary Class Action Park and the story behind the dangerous amusement park. It was purchased by a company that took out all those old features and renamed it, Mountain Creek. Seriously, that's some bad press right there. However, in 2015, as two people sat in the cage, squeezed the railing tightly, and prepared for take-off, one of the cables snapped. In big-time parks, like Disney or Six Flags, its all about creating thrills. Three teenagers drowned in the Grave Pool. WebIn this video, we explore the notorious Action Park, known as America's most dangerous water park. This was a water slide with an actual giant loop in the middle like it was right out of a Hot Wheels race track set. One issue with rides like thisand the entire parkis that there didnt seem to be any consulting with engineers. Members, Log On one day, four riders of Thunder River Rapids died when their raft flipped on the conveyor belt and the machinery kept moving. He sustained a fatal head injury when his head struck a rock, the site says. In our opinion, parks like these should be shut down and these animals should be rehabilitated and released. At Six Flags Georgia, not one, but two people died in separate incidents while walking underneath the ride. To go down the water slides, kids were supposed to be instructed to hold their arms in front of them across their chest to avoid injury. Batman: The Ride might be dangerous, but if you really want to put your life on the line, try one of the Superman rides at Six Flags. The end of the 1996 season would be the last for Action Parks. Also good thinking. Is Disney's Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser Failing? I vividly remember the stories and news reports of this place and this is a look back at what can be considered the most dangerous amusement park ever. if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[250,250],'everything80spodcast_com-large-mobile-banner-1','ezslot_11',151,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-everything80spodcast_com-large-mobile-banner-1-0');In the same way that Ronald Reagan lifted the restrictions on advertising to children, Action Park could run things the way they wanted to. I was told that those were the ones you used for the chili dogs. Batman: The Ride gives you all the fun of being Batman, which is actually, it's no fun being Batman. For Action Park, the idea was you could throw caution into the windand no one could stop you. Some with missing limbs, some missing heads. People who grew up going to and working at Action Park repeatedly compare it to a real-life 1980s movie., People were just running around drunk, getting sunburned and passing out from exhaustion and near-drowning experiences, Seccia adds. 1 Pripyat Amusement Park Maybe the most horrific history behind an amusement park is one that never came to be. But when it came to injuries, there was one ride to rule them all: The Alpine Slide. But it did. Mountain Creek disclose their injury reports, only the most important rule was to let! Illusion: they were submerged underwater the website rideaccidents.com news and insight,! Submerged underwater used for the school newspaper, the park caused people to turn.! Do nothing the public, there was a park like this wouldnt last two minutes today, people. Head struck a rock, the staff was as young as 14 and! But with more sunscreen World-Class Dark ride Quietly Opened in the Documentary, they tell of who... 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