Current:Home > InvestA roller coaster was shut down after a crack was found in a support beam. A customer says he spotted it. -GrowthInsight
A roller coaster was shut down after a crack was found in a support beam. A customer says he spotted it.
Ethermac View
Date:2025-04-06 10:27:40
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! (72)
Related
- Paula Abdul settles lawsuit with former 'So You Think You Can Dance' co
- Documents in abortion pill lawsuit raise questions about ex-husband's claims
- Biden Names Ocasio-Cortez, Kerry to Lead His Climate Task Force, Bridging Democrats’ Divide
- Get $148 J.Crew Jeans for $19, a $118 Dress for $28 and More Mind-Blowing Deals
- The Louvre will be renovated and the 'Mona Lisa' will have her own room
- Wheeler in Wisconsin: Putting a Green Veneer on the Actions of Trump’s EPA
- Submarine on expedition to Titanic wreckage missing with 5 aboard; search and rescue operation underway
- Jill Duggar and Derick Dillard Celebrate Her Birthday Ahead of Duggar Family Secrets Release
- At site of suspected mass killings, Syrians recall horrors, hope for answers
- This Week in Clean Economy: NYC Takes the Red Tape Out of Building Green
Ranking
- Newly elected West Virginia lawmaker arrested and accused of making terroristic threats
- Alaska Chokes on Wildfires as Heat Waves Dry Out the Arctic
- Hostage freed after years in Africa recounts ordeal and frustrations with U.S. response
- Submarine on expedition to Titanic wreckage missing with 5 aboard; search and rescue operation underway
- See you latte: Starbucks plans to cut 30% of its menu
- Aging Oil Pipeline Under the Great Lakes Should Be Closed, Michigan AG Says
- West Virginia's COVID vaccine lottery under scrutiny over cost of prizes, tax issues
- With 10 Appointees on the Ninth Circuit, Trump Seeks to Tame His Nemesis
Recommendation
Senate begins final push to expand Social Security benefits for millions of people
Arctic National Wildlife Refuge Faces New Drilling Risk from Congress
Why do some people get UTIs over and over? A new report holds clues
New Trump Nuclear Plan Favors Uranium Mining Bordering the Grand Canyon
Nearly half of US teens are online ‘constantly,’ Pew report finds
When homelessness and mental illness overlap, is forced treatment compassionate?
New Trump Nuclear Plan Favors Uranium Mining Bordering the Grand Canyon
Jessica Alba Shares Sweet Selfie With Husband Cash Warren on Their 15th Anniversary