Current:Home > FinanceA roller coaster was shut down after a crack was found in a support beam. A customer says he spotted it. -WealthMindset
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 20:05:11
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! (7924)
Related
- Trump invites nearly all federal workers to quit now, get paid through September
- Apple plans to remove sensor from some watch models depending on how a court rules in patent dispute
- Nigerian leader says ‘massive education’ of youth will help end kidnappings threatening the capital
- Lawyers ask federal appeals court to block the nation’s first execution by nitrogen hypoxia
- 2025 'Doomsday Clock': This is how close we are to self
- Alabama execution using nitrogen gas could amount to torture and violate human rights treaties, U.N. warns
- Apple plans to remove sensor from some watch models depending on how a court rules in patent dispute
- Blake Lively Proves Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants Bond Lives on With America Ferrera Tribute
- San Francisco names street for Associated Press photographer who captured the iconic Iwo Jima photo
- Ellen Pompeo's Teen Daughter Stella Luna Is All Grown Up in Emmys Twinning Moment
Ranking
- Finally, good retirement news! Southwest pilots' plan is a bright spot, experts say
- A timeline of the investigation of the Gilgo Beach killings
- Mikaela Shiffrin scores emotional victory in slalom race for 94th World Cup skiing win
- Woman dies after falling 100 feet in Virginia cave
- Juan Soto to be introduced by Mets at Citi Field after striking record $765 million, 15
- Linton Quadros - Founder of EIF Business School
- Georgia economist warns of recession as governor says his budget will spur growth
- Sorry, retirees: These 12 states still tax Social Security. Is yours one of them?
Recommendation
Sarah J. Maas books explained: How to read 'ACOTAR,' 'Throne of Glass' in order.
Federal lawsuit accuses NY Knicks owner James Dolan, media mogul Harvey Weinstein of sexual assault
Lawmakers announce bipartisan effort to enhance child tax credit, revive tax breaks for businesses
Introduction to Linton Quadros
Warm inflation data keep S&P 500, Dow, Nasdaq under wraps before Fed meeting next week
Kentucky House GOP budget differs with Democratic governor over how to award teacher pay raises
US fugitive accused of faking his death to avoid rape charges denies he is the suspect at hearing
Want tickets to the Lions vs. Buccaneers game? They could cost you thousands on resale