Current:Home > MarketsA roller coaster was shut down after a crack was found in a support beam. A customer says he spotted it. -Pinnacle Profit Strategies
A roller coaster was shut down after a crack was found in a support beam. A customer says he spotted it.
View
Date:2025-04-15 06:16:54
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! (2576)
Related
- 'We're reborn!' Gazans express joy at returning home to north
- Olivia Rodrigo’s Reaction to Onstage Wardrobe Malfunction Will Have You Saying “Good 4 U”
- 2024 NFL regular season: Complete week-by-week schedule for 18-week, 17-game slate
- Tennessee Titans post sequel to viral NFL schedule release video: Remember 'The Red Stallions'?
- North Carolina justices rule for restaurants in COVID
- Tennessee Titans post sequel to viral NFL schedule release video: Remember 'The Red Stallions'?
- Angela Bassett mourns loss of '9-1-1' crew member who died in crash: 'We're all rocked by it'
- Jason Kelce Shares Conversation With Taylor Swift’s Pal Miles Teller
- Meta donates $1 million to Trump’s inauguration fund
- Sun emits its largest X-class flare of the solar cycle as officials warn bursts from massive sunspot not done yet
Ranking
- Biden administration makes final diplomatic push for stability across a turbulent Mideast
- House signs off on FAA bill that addresses aircraft safety and and refund rights of passengers
- Will jurors believe Michael Cohen? Defense keys on witness’ credibility at Trump hush money trial
- Jason Kelce Shares Conversation With Taylor Swift’s Pal Miles Teller
- Newly elected West Virginia lawmaker arrested and accused of making terroristic threats
- This Week’s Landmark Transmission Rule Forces Utilities to Take the Long View
- Supreme Court lets Louisiana use congressional map with new majority-Black district in 2024 elections
- “Raise the Age” juvenile justice reforms altered by North Carolina Senate
Recommendation
Juan Soto to be introduced by Mets at Citi Field after striking record $765 million, 15
Officials searching for a missing diver in Florida recover another body instead
All eyes are on Coppola in Cannes. Sound familiar?
Texas man accused of killing New Mexico women and kidnapping an infant faces federal charge
Juan Soto to be introduced by Mets at Citi Field after striking record $765 million, 15
3 Hall of Fame boxers offer thoughts on Mike Tyson-Jake Paul fight, friendship
'Young Sheldon' finale: Date, time, cast, where to watch and stream last Season 7 episode
Angela Bassett mourns loss of '9-1-1' crew member who died in crash: 'We're all rocked by it'