Current:Home > ContactA roller coaster was shut down after a crack was found in a support beam. A customer says he spotted it. -EquityExchange
A roller coaster was shut down after a crack was found in a support beam. A customer says he spotted it.
View
Date:2025-04-27 21:24:13
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! (5)
Related
- Which apps offer encrypted messaging? How to switch and what to know after feds’ warning
- Mega Millions winning numbers for June 7 drawing: Jackpot rises to $30 million
- Basketball Hall of Famer and 1967 NBA champion Chet Walker dies at 84
- Disneyland employee dies after falling from moving golf cart in theme park backstage
- Sarah J. Maas books explained: How to read 'ACOTAR,' 'Throne of Glass' in order.
- Josh Maravich, son of Basketball Hall of Famer Pete Maravich, dies at 42
- Dornoch wins 156th Belmont Stakes, run for first time at Saratoga
- Protect Your Hair & Scalp From the Sun With These Under $50 Dermatologist Recommended Finds
- The Best Stocking Stuffers Under $25
- FDA approves first RSV vaccine for at-risk adults in their 50s
Ranking
- A South Texas lawmaker’s 15
- Roger Daltrey says live music is 'the only thing that hasn’t been stolen by the internet'
- Celtics beat Mavericks 105-98, take 2-0 lead in NBA Finals as series heads to Dallas
- 35 children among those killed in latest Sudan civil war carnage, U.N. says
- 'Vanderpump Rules' star DJ James Kennedy arrested on domestic violence charges
- Florida authorities warn of shark dangers along Gulf Coast beaches after 3 people are attacked
- Stanley Cup Final Game 1 recap: Winners, losers as Panthers' Sergei Bobrovsky blanks Oilers
- Biden calls France our first friend and enduring ally during state visit in Paris
Recommendation
Taylor Swift makes surprise visit to Kansas City children’s hospital
Biden calls France our first friend and enduring ally during state visit in Paris
From women pastors to sexual abuse to Trump, Southern Baptists have a busy few days ahead of them
National Weather Service forecasts more sweltering heat this week for Phoenix and Las Vegas areas
Mets have visions of grandeur, and a dynasty, with Juan Soto as major catalyst
From women pastors to sexual abuse to Trump, Southern Baptists have a busy few days ahead of them
Blinken to visit Middle East in effort to rally support for cease-fire
Iga Swiatek routs Jasmine Paolini to win third straight French Open title