Two Injured at Cedar Point Amusement Park
A Cedar Point spokesman says the Skyhawk ride will remain closed until an investigation can be completed into an accident that left two riders injured on Saturday.
About the Cedar Point Skyhawk Accident
The Columbus Dispatch is reporting that two people were injured after a cable snapped on the Skyhawk ride at Cedar Point amusement park in Sandusky, Ohio on Saturday. The cable snapped unexpectedly causing one of the ride’s carriages to disconnect.
One of the victims was treated on the scene, and the second victim was taken to a local hospital for treatment.
According to the Dispatch report, the Skyhawk has two arms that can swing riders up to 125-feet in the air at speeds of 60mph. The ride was closed temporarily last year for what the park says was an unrelated reason.
Amusement Park Ride Accidents
Last year, a report in the Huffington Post examined accident data from the country’s 400 million amusement parks. Their analysis concluded that of all ride types, rollercoasters contributed to the highest number of amusement park injuries at 27.6 percent. In total, 47 people died on U.S. rollercoasters between 1998 and 2012.
Other rides that are more commonly associated with amusement park fatalities include: Ferris wheels, gondolas, and cables rides (20.7 percent), water rides (15.3 percent), and spinning ridges (13.6 percent).