11 year old dies after falling 100 feet from a Ferris Wheel in Wildwood, NJ.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/43271295/ns/us_news-life/?GT1=43001

At Morey's. Very sad. May God be with the family and with the park employees. People often forget how bad things like this can be on the park employees.

I'll say it again-there is no way I would be a ride op. Imagine living with this tragedy for the rest of your life. Prayers for the family and the employees involved.

I am sorry to hear that. Such a tradgedy. I hope the family is holding out well. Also, the ride-ops hopefully don't think it was their fault.

Having meet Jack Morey last year and being his "friend" on facebook, I can tell you for sure that he is hurting as well.

I have ridden this wheel and can't see how anyone could fall out of it unless they were leaning out of the gondola or purposely jumped. I have heard reports that she was leaning out waving to friends in another gondola when she fell. I don't think that seatbelts would have helped as she could have removed them. There is a certain indestructibly that we feel when we are younger that unfortunately sometimes results in something tragic like this.

Fatal Fall Brings Tighter Rules for Ferris Wheels:

http://articles.philly.com/2011-06-13/news/29653022_1_ferris-wheels-gondola-giant-wheel

New recommendations issued Monday for all Ferris wheel operators require that children be at least 54 inches tall to ride without a parent or guardian - a policy Morey's management said already was enforced on its piers - and that each gondola have at least two riders.

Fatal Fall Brings Tighter Rules for Ferris Wheels:

http://articles.philly.com/2011-06-13/news/29653022_1_ferris-wheels-gondola-giant-wheel

New recommendations issued Monday for all Ferris wheel operators require that children be at least 54 inches tall to ride without a parent or guardian - a policy Morey's management said already was enforced on its piers - and that each gondola have at least two riders.

I just know that I'm going to be hammered for this opinion. A case like this is exactly why coasters now have super restrictive restraints that hurt and why ride ops at many parks are trained to staple riders to the seat. One idiot wants to stand up on the ride and wave to their friends and show absolutely no judgement, so now I'm sure we'll have to have seat belts on all ferris wheels, railings that block most of the view, and not allow any single riders. It makes me sick. I'm waiting for all new ferris wheel cars to be cages as seen on the rock-o-plane.

Have small children ride with their parents. Past that, it wasn't the park's fault. I'm not saying I don't feel bad for the family, but it used to be that families that allowed their children to go on rides told them how to behave on them. If the child doesn't know better, ride with them or don't let them ride. Speaking of which, I don't recall seeing anything about a parent or guardian mentioned in the article. Where were they? Since when do we let an 11-year-old wander the park completely alone? Sorry, I don't see anything in this article that leads me to believe any additional restrictions on ferris wheels are neccessary. I see only poor judgement.

Okay...blast away!

Flyer

And where is Morey's?

New Jersey.

Enough said.

Oh, yeah. It's illegal to live in New Jersey. I forgot.

I just know that I'm going to be hammered for this opinion. A case like this is exactly why coasters now have super restrictive restraints that hurt and why ride ops at many parks are trained to staple riders to the seat. One idiot wants to stand up on the ride and wave to their friends and show absolutely no judgement, so now I'm sure we'll have to have seat belts on all ferris wheels, railings that block most of the view, and not allow any single riders. It makes me sick. I'm waiting for all new ferris wheel cars to be cages as seen on the rock-o-plane.

I do sympathize with all involved, and I agree with your opinion.

That said, you can't fix stupid.

Are all victims to a tragedy like this stupid? No. I believe this incident was an innocent mistake that had a tragic ending. I am referring to those that break the rules by doing something stupid like attempting to stand on a coaster, or jump a fence surrounding a ride.

Some states (California and New Jersey come immediately to mind) put a high premium on protecting stupid people from themselves, even at the expense, in more ways than one, of the rest of us. See also the recent CGA bumper car case.

Speaking of which, I don't recall seeing anything about a parent or guardian mentioned in the article. Where were they? Since when do we let an 11-year-old wander the park completely alone?

Flyer

The child was at the park on a school trip, so you can't place the blame on the family. She also was not alone in the park, just alone in the gondola on the ferris wheel. From the accounts I have read, she was leaning over waving to friends. This is a tragic story and while I agree that this is how regulations get to the point where ride ops think they must staple you in, I don't think that minors should be allowed to ride in a ferris wheel by themselves. I do have an issue making this an across the board ruling.

If I remember correctly, and this photo seems to confirm it, the Ferris Wheel at Navy Pier in Chicago has plexiglass on the gondolas. I don't know if that's to protect riders from themselves or to protect them from the wind coming off Lake Michigan (or a little of both), but it didn't obstruct our view. This would be a better option to me than a cage. Although I'm sure eventually someone would break through the plexiglass thus necessitating in the minds of regulators and insurance companies the need for metal bars.

Giant Wheel to reopen tomorrow

http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/communities/lower_capemay/morey-s-will-reopen-giant-wheel-saturday-with-new-safety/article_c110aa7e-98e9-11e0-8a0e-001cc4c03286.html

If I remember correctly, and this photo seems to confirm it, the Ferris Wheel at Navy Pier in Chicago has plexiglass on the gondolas. I don't know if that's to protect riders from themselves or to protect them from the wind coming off Lake Michigan (or a little of both), but it didn't obstruct our view. This would be a better option to me than a cage. Although I'm sure eventually someone would break through the plexiglass thus necessitating in the minds of regulators and insurance companies the need for metal bars.

Sounds like a potentially viable option.

From reading the posts, I think my problem is that I have an issue with having to protect people from themselves. This is why Kat is in charge of safety at Midnight Forest.

And here comes the lawsuit:

http://www.google.co...eafe10a89ab87c1

Interesting to note:

the couple is suing in Pennsylvania because Morey's Pier does extensive marketing there.

It makes one wonder if there are other reasons besides that too.

Additional info:

The parents of an 11-year-old girl who fell to her death from near the top of a New Jersey shore Ferris wheel have filed a lawsuit against the ride's operator, claiming it was negligent to keep the ride open on a windy day.

http://www.newsday.c...-sues-1.3012531

Soon after the state issued its preliminary report last month, Twanda and Byron Jones met with reporters in New York and Philadelphia with their then-lawyer, who was promising a broad investigation into Ferris wheel flaws. They said at the time that Ferris wheels should have more restraints.

http://www.phillyburbs.com/news/local/burlington_county_times_news/family-of-nj-girl-who-died-on-ferris-wheel-sues/article_ad87e6ce-a97a-11e0-bcb9-001a4bcf6878.html

Catching Up: Family of girl who died on Wildwood Ferris wheel awaits wrongful death trial

http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/communities/atlantic-city_pleasantville_brigantine/catching-up-family-of-girl-who-died-on-wildwood-ferris/article_ad03b480-d9f7-11e2-a6c7-0019bb2963f4.html