Organization Says It Gave Kings Island Fair Warning About Son Of Beast Injuries

[PKIVortex]

A national safety organization says it warned Kings Island about injuries on the Son of Beast roller coaster months before a major accident shut down the ride.

The organization's president claims more than 20 people filed filed complaints about Son of Beast in 2005.

He says that's a problem and when he took it to Kings Island management he says his concerns were ignored.

The Son of Beast has sat at a standstill since the July 9 accident, an accident that doesn't surprise the people who monitor this website where people log roller coaster complaints.

They say after more than 20 complaints on Son of Beast in 2005 they notified Kings Island.

"20 times or more and there's a trend there. anything less than that we're not so concerned about until there are 20," said Jason Herrera of the Amusement Safety Organization. "All we wanted from them is what is being done so we can inform the pubic and they couldn't even give us that courtesy."

So he went to the State Department of Agriculture, which regulates roller coasters to point out the situation.

"Patrons experiencing back pain during certain parts of the ride, aches, a couple of people walking off the ride vomiting."

He says vision problems after riding were reported too.

Concerned that problems plaguing the coaster over the last two years will continue when it reopens next season, Herrera met again on Friday with the people in charge of roller coaster safety at the Ohio Department of Agriculture in Columbus.

"It's very subjective," said Fred Dailey with the Ohio Department of Agriculture. "There are some people who will ride a rough ride and enjoy and others will feel very uncomfortable with a ride like that."

Dailey has confidence in Kings Island to remedy any problems the ride may have.

"My perception is that regardless of the ownership, Kings Island has had a strong commitment to safety," Dailey said. "They put safety first and I regard them as a very responsible park."

A Kings Island spokeswoman says the park would never skimp on safety.

She says all complaints are passed on to the maintenance safety team and hopes the ride will be ready to run again in the spring.

-Source WCPO.com

[The Interpreter]

Jason Herrera is hardly a safety expert. His organization is highly suspect, to put it mildly.

[CoastersRZ]

Yep, I just posted a link to this article in the other thread. Here it is, with a couple pictures as well.

Seriousely, what is this group trying to protect? Do they not think that the state will make sure the rides are safe? I know that from a business stand point, Kings Island does all they can to keep the rides safe. Afterall, an accident like they had on Son of Beast is not good public relations.

The website is a joke (they don`t mention Adventure Express as being a roller coaster at Kings Island). The "president" who proclaims to be such an expert on amusement safety has never worked in a park, or had the background education to be considered an expert. All the "reported" incidents on the site are contributed, but cannot be backed up with credible evidence. Granted, some of them may in fact be true, but I have a feeling that some of them are unfounded.

But injuries do happen at amusement parks. I`m not denying that. Even at Coney, there have been some injuries on rides, but most of the times they are not directly related to the ride themselves. (Ie someone trips and scrapes there knee, or pinches their finger when they get on the ride).

Another website, that is similar in thought, but much different in execution is Coasterquest by Walt Reiss. The difference between Walt`s site and the ASO, is that just by visiting Walt`s site, you can see that he knows the industry and safety. He also isn`t trying to criticise the parks. BTW, I highly reccommend visiting his site as it is a very informative site, and details some of the off season maintenance that coaster trains go through.

[Reclaimer]

Yeah. This guy is a joke. Seriously, some people need to find better things to do with their lives.

[Gordon Bombay]

Is this some kind of joke? What makes this guy more qualified than the state? Too bad a**holes like this win more often than lose, this is just more bad press out there against the ride and even if the ride is qualified to open again, it will still have things like this looming over it, does CF want to keep poring money in to fighting a bad reputation? I think we'll eventually see a new coaster in a spot were a 218 foot monster once stood rather than any 17 year old or 13 year old arrows.

[TheKlockster]

ASO is totally stupid - and if any courts or anything look to this wiseguy enthusiast as an expert - they are idiots as well.

[flightoffear1996]

Thanks alot for posting this it will go great for this 7 page research paper I am doing. Thanks a bunch!

[Vortexlover2]

Thanks alot for posting this it will go great for this 7 page research paper I am doing. Thanks a bunch!

what's the paper on?

~e~vl2~

[flightoffear1996]

Its on theme park saftey. I am trying to prove how alot of saftey on the rides has declined over the past few years. I know theme parks are safe I just wanted to look at it in a different approach.

[Gordon Bombay]

^If you're trying to prove that, then dont use this source, the guy who "warned" KI has no more professional opinion than the ordinary guest. I'd rather take the states PROFESSIONAL opinion on this one rather than the ASO guy. This guy reminds me of that moron Paul Draebek who just because he rides the voyage all day and pays to be in a club that he is an expert on amusement park safety. And whos that one ACE fool who has the site dedicated to showing pictures of ride operators making mistakes? You think he would put meaning in his life or that he'd have something better to. One of these days......indiana jones....

[CoastersRZ]

Not to mention that the injury reports on his site are not credible. I would not use that website as a credible website. I do believe that there is an actual not for profit organization out there that has a website which records hospital visits that result from amusement park visits. Not sure of the site, but that is more credible information than reports of people "claiming to suffer discomfort and pain" on a ride. Not to mention that the ASO website doesn`t even mention Adventure Express as being a ride at Kings Island. This is just a guy who thinks he is an expert on the industry, and thinks he can protect people with his limited knowledge. Not unlike Ed Markey wanting the CPSC to regulate the amusement industry.

[PKIDelirium]

http://www.saferparks.org

http://www.rideaccidents.com

[tubaman]

If you look at ASO's webiste, Mr. Herrera is licensed to give first aid and cpr. I don't even think there is anything else that he is qualified to do.

[WooferBearATL]

Its on theme park saftey. I am trying to prove how alot of saftey on the rides has declined over the past few years. I know theme parks are safe I just wanted to look at it in a different approach.

Why would you be setting out to prove or disprove something of that nature. Why not take the evidence and allow the facts to lead you to that conclusion. If you're setting out to prove something is "x" you're certain to be biased in that direction.

[deidre1976]

this is just more bad press out there against the ride and even if the ride is qualified to open again, it will still have things like this looming over it, does CF want to keep poring money in to fighting a bad reputation?

The King Cobra survived after its accident.........this will pass and people will forget and ride anyway! Sorry still learning this new format!

[The Interpreter]

What King Cobra accident? I am aware of several incidents on Shockwave at Kings Dominion, but what happened on King Cobra?

[Gordon Bombay]

I was about to say the same thing?

[CoastersRZ]

There was an accident in which a train partially derailed on King Cobra back in 1984. Eight people received minor injuries on the ride. I seem to recall it being due to a bad wheel. A Cincinnati Enquirer article I have from August 26, 1999 mentions the incident, because that was the day the park was reopening King Cobra because they concluded that the death on Shockwave was a result of rider misconduct, and not a ride malfunction.

[The Interpreter]

Yes, but that was hardly an incident of the magnitude of the one in July, nor did it receive the national attention the later one did.

[CoastersRZ]

Yes. I was simply relating what I knew about the incident on King Cobra, as some people seemed to not have ever heard about it before. The main difference is that Son of Beast, whether or not the ASO is involved in this or not, has been known to be a rough ride. While King Cobra was not known to be a rough ride.

[touchdown62]

If you look at ASO's webiste, Mr. Herrera is licensed to give first aid and cpr. I don't even think there is anything else that he is qualified to do.

CPR and First Aid aren't even licenses. You get a certificate for successfully completing the courses.

Beware of using Internet sites as sources for a research paper, as many are not credible sources.

[CoastersNSich]

^If you're trying to prove that, then dont use this source, the guy who "warned" KI has no more professional opinion than the ordinary guest. I'd rather take the states PROFESSIONAL opinion on this one rather than the ASO guy. This guy reminds me of that moron Paul Draebek who just because he rides the voyage all day and pays to be in a club that he is an expert on amusement park safety.

Just because a coaster enthusiast who lives within walking distance from his home park and rides a certain coaster constantly, doesn't necessarily make him a safety expert. Even Paul himself concedes that. But I would argue that because he is such an avid enthusiast, he has a higher awareness of the risks involved in riding coasters, and the need to use caution and follow instructions, than do some guests.

And whos that one ACE fool who has the site dedicated to showing pictures of ride operators making mistakes? You think he would put meaning in his life or that he'd have something better to. One of these days......indiana jones....

I have seen his website - he, like Drabek, may not be a safety expert, but he feels a need to let the public know that there are some fallacies among ride operators. If I saw a gate left open, an unsafe maneuver, or an inattentive operator, I'd let other people know.

Whether someone is an expert in an area is a subjective thing. For example, I have a bachelor degree in urban planning. I have avid interest and concerns in and about urban issues, such as transportation, smart growth, sprawl, historic preservation, housing, urban design, the environment, and the overall quality of life. However, I am en route to becoming a professional, and hardly consider myself an expert, even though I tend to focus on these things more often than some others.

[flightoffear1996]

I was broswing on the internet about ride saftey just for fun. (My Paper is Done) I came across something along these lines. The man that was ejected from Superman @ Six Flags Darian Lake sued and won the cause for 4 million dollars because he didn't pull his restraint down. But get this. He didn't sue the park but the ride operator. Now where in the world is a ride operator gonna get that kind of money?

[WooferBearATL]

Surprised this was not posted earlier. If you click on the 10/16/06 Agenda's in the upper left corner and then go to the item #23, it has some interesting info about the SOB Investigation.

http://www.ecb.ohio.gov/Public/ShowAgenda.aspx

[The Interpreter]

I was broswing on the internet about ride saftey just for fun. (My Paper is Done) I came across something along these lines. The man that was ejected from Superman @ Six Flags Darian Lake sued and won the cause for 4 million dollars because he didn't pull his restraint down. But get this. He didn't sue the park but the ride operator. Now where in the world is a ride operator gonna get that kind of money?

Don't rely on the Internet without reading critically and being careful. That information could not have come from the official documents, which at least at one time were actually posted on the web (not unlike the documents that WooferBearATL has posted. Knowing how to read those documents can sometimes be more important than finding them. As to the Darien Lake Superman incident:

a. The rider DID sue the park (and the manufacturer).

b. By all accounts the rider DID pull his restraint down.

c. He did NOT win four million dollars from the ride op.

d. Even if he had, who hired and supervised (and insured) the ride operator?

e. The ride did not have seatbelts at the time of the incident.

There are people on this forum who observed that incident. There are others who were greatly involved in the matter.

The amusement industry is a VERY small place. Always remember that. And the park companies know each other well and talk frequently about safety and industry issues.

As to the documents that WooferBearATL posted as to Son of Beast, it is obvious it is going to be quite some before anyone knows what happens next on that ride.

Note also those are official documents of the State of Ohio, and fully available to the public. They are not just second hand opinions posted on the web. They are NOT findings, but they do refer to the investigation in progress, and make clear what some of the initial findings appear to be, in order to justify the additional monies to be spent on the contract.

And the ride will NOT reopen, regardless of what anyone may say, until the State of Ohio, Cedar Fair, the Kings Island park manager, the rides operations manager and the insurance companies all agree it is safe to run again. Safety is important. It is far more important than anyone who merely pines that their favorite ride is closed.

[Avatar]

WooferBearATL and The Interpreter; I always enjoy you guys links to articles with factual news relating to various issues of the Parks. It helps me have a better understanding on what’s really going on and not what someone else perceives is going on intentionally or not. Keep up the great work it’s appreciated.

[Guest kwindshawne]

Surprised this was not posted earlier. If you click on the 10/16/06 Agenda's in the upper left corner and then go to the item #23, it has some interesting info about the SOB Investigation.

http://www.ecb.ohio.gov/Public/ShowAgenda.aspx

Well, my computer being the grumpy butt it is won't allow me to open the link. What does it say?

What King Cobra accident? I am aware of several incidents on Shockwave at Kings Dominion, but what happened on King Cobra?

I remember that as well-saw it on the local news. It was quickly repaired and back up.

[WooferBearATL]

Surprised this was not posted earlier. If you click on the 10/16/06 Agenda's in the upper left corner and then go to the item #23, it has some interesting info about the SOB Investigation.

http://www.ecb.ohio.gov/Public/ShowAgenda.aspx

Well, my computer being the grumpy butt it is won't allow me to open the link. What does it say?

I said that the original investigation of the SOB incident was to cost 10K, on 08/18 it was increased by another 25K and on 09/15 another 45K for a total of 60K allocated already. The investigation is not set to wrap up until 06/30/06.

Sooooooo, with the investigation not set to wrap until 06/30/07 - may not be looking at a SOB opening untl late next season if at all.

[Guest kwindshawne]

Surprised this was not posted earlier. If you click on the 10/16/06 Agenda's in the upper left corner and then go to the item #23, it has some interesting info about the SOB Investigation.

http://www.ecb.ohio.gov/Public/ShowAgenda.aspx

Well, my computer being the grumpy butt it is won't allow me to open the link. What does it say?

I said that the original investigation of the SOB incident was to cost 10K, on 08/18 it was increased by another 25K and on 09/15 another 45K for a total of 60K allocated already. The investigation is not set to wrap up until 06/30/06.

Sooooooo, with the investigation not set to wrap until 06/30/07 - may not be looking at a SOB opening untl late next season if at all.

Wow-that's quite a chunk of cash. With this plus the past problems, I would think it would make management look long and hard as to whether it is worth keeping.

[flightoffear1996]

If I were in Kings Island shoes I would do what they did with The Bat. Admit that the ride came before its time and tear all the track down and just rebuild the track from the start.