• We have updated the guidelines regarding posting political content: please see the stickied thread on Website Issues.

Dangerous Play (Playgrounds; Carnivals; Amusement Parks; Etc.)

Attachments

  • AFC57F5F-0073-4EF9-BE69-69D34C632738.jpeg
    AFC57F5F-0073-4EF9-BE69-69D34C632738.jpeg
    606.5 KB · Views: 17
A teen amusement park visitor fell to his death in Orlando last night.
Teen falls to death from Florida amusement park ride

A 14-year-old boy fell to his death late at night from a free-fall amusement park ride that is taller than the Statue of Liberty along a busy street in the heart of Orlando’s tourist district.

Sheriff’s officials and emergency crews responded to a call late Thursday at Icon Park, which is located in the city’s tourist district along International Drive. The boy fell from the Orlando Free Fall ride, which opened late last year.

Orange County Sheriff John Mina on Friday identified the teen as Tyree Samson, who was visiting central Florida from Missouri with a friend’s family. Detectives investigating the death will look into whether it was intentional or accidental, the sheriff said. ...

He was taken to a hospital, where he died, sheriff’s officials said. No additional details about the teen or the incident were immediately released. ...

A video aired by NBC’s “Today” show Friday morning appears to show passengers on the ride discussing issues with a seat restraint Thursday night. The ride then began its trek up the tower before someone is later seen falling from the ride.
FULL STORY: https://apnews.com/article/florida-orlando-d03a753b6ac928a86222c0f3b1134619
 
A teen amusement park visitor fell to his death in Orlando last night.
FULL STORY: https://apnews.com/article/florida-orlando-d03a753b6ac928a86222c0f3b1134619

Update ... There's a new twist to the story. It turns out that the 14-year-old who died was of extraordinary size for his age, and he had been denied access to two other rides at the amusement park for exceeding the size and weight limits.
Teen who fell to his death at Florida amusement park was turned away from two other rides, his cousin says

The teen who fell to his death from an amusement park ride in Florida last week said he was turned away from two other rides at the park because of his size, according to his cousin.

Tyre Sampson fell Thursday from the Orlando FreeFall drop tower, which takes riders up 430 feet and then drops at speeds of up to 75 mph, according to ICON Park, where the incident happened.

Shay Johnson spoke with 14-year-old Sampson by phone just before he got on the FreeFall drop tower at the park ...

Johnson dropped Sampson off at the park, she said, and he told her he wanted to ride the swing.

“I said ‘OK. ...’ ” Johnson said.

“He called me back about seven minutes later. He said ‘They said I’m too big. I can’t ride' ” ...

Johnson said she told Sampson to try another one, the SlingShot, but he was also told he was too big. He told her there was one more ride he was going to try.

“He called me he say, ‘They let me ride. I can ride. I can ride,’ ” she remembered him telling her before getting on the Orlando FreeFall. ...

An accident report obtained by CNN said Sampson’s seat was locked when the ride landed.

“Harness was still in a down and locked position when the ride stopped,” said the report filed by the operator with the fair rides division of the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.

Sampson came out of the seat when the magnets engaged to slow the ride during the descent, according to the report ...

Sampson’s father, Yarnell Sampson, also raised the question of his son’s size Friday, telling CNN: “My son was 6’5” 340. ..."

The ride’s operations and maintenance manual, which has been posted online by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, indicates the maximum passenger weight is 130 kilograms (approximately 287 pounds).

“Be careful when seeing if large guests fit into the seats. Check that they fit within the contours of the seat and the bracket fits properly. If this is not so – Do not let this person ride,” the manual states.

It’s not clear whether Sampson fit the contours of the seat or if the bracket fit properly. ...
FULL STORY: https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/29/us/florida-park-teen-death-accident-report/index.html
 
Update ... There's a new twist to the story. It turns out that the 14-year-old who died was of extraordinary size for his age, and he had been denied access to two other rides at the amusement park for exceeding the size and weight limits.

FULL STORY: https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/29/us/florida-park-teen-death-accident-report/index.html
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/...o-theme-park-death-tower-weight-b2050059.html

“harness was still in a down and locked position when the ride stopped”

How did he fall out then? He was a big guy so it’s not like he slipped through.

On a different note I’m disappointed by the Independent.

‘A teenager who fell to his death from a 430ft high Florida theme park ride may have been to heavy to go on the attraction.’

You’d think they’d know when to use too.

Also this sentence is a shambles.

‘Mr Sampson added that Sampson said his son was an aspiring football player who had a bright future.’

I can only see one Mr Sampson talking and that’s his dad. The press can’t even be bothered these days.
 
Update ... There's a new twist to the story. It turns out that the 14-year-old who died was of extraordinary size for his age, and he had been denied access to two other rides at the amusement park for exceeding the size and weight limits.
FULL STORY: https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/29/us/florida-park-teen-death-accident-report/index.html

Update on this update, from our You Couldn't Make This Shit Up If You Tried department ...

The alleged cousin who served as the source of the story quoted in my earlier post turned out to be an imposter unknown to the victim's family. As a result of her fakery she's lost her job as a local stripper.
Florida woman loses strip club gig after posing as Tyre Sampson’s cousin: report

A Florida woman who claimed to be the cousin of fall victim Tyre Sampson was fired from her job after being exposed as an alleged fraud, the Orlando Sentinel reported.

Sampson, 14, fell to his death from a drop tower ride at Orlando’s ICON Park on March 24.

The next day, Shay Johnson appeared at Sampson’s memorial in a T-Shirt with his photo on the front. She was holding a sign that said his life mattered and gave interviews with multiple news outlets, speaking as a representative of his family, according to the Sentinel. ...

“He said he wanted to ride the swing on International,” she told reporters. “I said, ‘OK. Ride it twice and ride it for me, too.’” ...

But her story started to unravel following investigations by the Sentinel and WFTV.

Johnson’s real name is Lewishena Lavonia Browning, 32, and Sampson’s family doesn’t know who she is, the Sentinel reported.

The Orange County Sheriff’s Office told WFTV Sampson’s mother denied knowing Browning, and an attorney representing the family confirmed they were not related.

Officials say the case has not risen to the level of a crime, therefore no charges have been filed at this time. But Browning is still dealing with the consequences of her actions.

According to the Sentinel, Browning was fired from her job at an adult entertainment club in Orlando, where she worked for five years.

The owner of Flash Dancers, William Sierer called her behavior “unconscionable.” ...
FULL STORY: https://www.wfla.com/news/florida/f...-after-posing-as-tyre-sampsons-cousin-report/
 
Update on this update, from our You Couldn't Make This Shit Up If You Tried department ...

The alleged cousin who served as the source of the story quoted in my earlier post turned out to be an imposter unknown to the victim's family. As a result of her fakery she's lost her job as a local stripper.

FULL STORY: https://www.wfla.com/news/florida/f...-after-posing-as-tyre-sampsons-cousin-report/

Thank goodness that the owner of the titty bar took a moral stance. l’d hate to see anyone benefit from unethical behaviour.

:rofl:

maximus otter
 
Growing up in the 70's/80's in Harwich our playground was the old war buildings on Beacon Hill called the Dub's by all of us really unsafe but great fun. For added fun we'd swim out to the leading light lighthouse climb up it and dive off the top we knew how to live
 
A teen amusement park visitor fell to his death in Orlando last night.
FULL STORY: https://apnews.com/article/florida-orlando-d03a753b6ac928a86222c0f3b1134619

Boy, 14, who died after falling from theme park ride ‘told friends he felt unsafe’

Update ... There's a new twist to the story. It turns out that the 14-year-old who died was of extraordinary size for his age, and he had been denied access to two other rides at the amusement park for exceeding the size and weight limits. ...

Update ... Investigators have examined the ride's equipment, and it seems they've found the likely cause of the oversized teen's fall.
Sensors were adjusted on ride where teen fell to death

Sensors on a Florida amusement park ride had been adjusted manually to double the size of the opening for restraints on two seats, resulting in a 14-year-old boy not being properly secured before he slipped out and fell to his death ...

The average opening for restraints on the seats on the 430-foot (131-meter), free-fall amusement park ride ... was 3.3 inches (8.3 centimeters). However, the opening of the restraint for the seat used by Tyre Sampson ... was as much as 7.1 inches (18 centimeters), and the one for another seat was as much as 6.5 inches (16.5 centimeters), according to the report commissioned by the Florida Department of Agriculture, which is investigating the accident.

Sampson was only 14 but already 6 feet, 5 inches tall (195 centimeters) and well over 300 pounds (136 kilograms) when he slipped out of his seat as the ride plunged to the ground at speeds of 75 mph (about 121 kph) or more. The restraint opening was over 6 inches (15.2 centimeters) at the start of the ride with Sampson in the seat but could have expanded to as much as 10 inches (25 centimeters) from the extra weight ...

An inspection showed that sensors used to activate safety lights on the two seats, indicating the harness safety restraints were in place, had been adjusted to allow for the wider openings. The safety lights on Sampson’s seat and on the ride’s control panel were illuminated; if they hadn’t been, the ride would not have started. As the ride slowed down, Sampson slipped through a gap between the seat and safety harness ...
FULL STORY: https://apnews.com/article/florida-orlando-e9470b0e84a8c59e1bdb1fb06314f170
 
This Busch Gardens Tampa visitor had a bad experience on a newly refurbished roller coaster. It wasn't exactly life-threatening, but there's a good chance he was so mortified he wished he'd died.
Guest Suffers Disgusting Accident at High-Speed Rollercoaster

Posted on April 22, 2022 by Ed Aguila

Experiencing a roller coaster for the first time is probably one of the most thrilling and exciting experiences a Guest could have, and while seeing themselves involved in an accident is the last thing going through their minds, there is always a possibility that something unexpected could happen, especially when riding a high-speed roller coaster. ...

Unfortunately, one Guest recently suffered a disgusting incident while riding Iron Gwazi at Busch Gardens in Tampa, Florida.

Recently, Redditor u/Geaux_Cajuns posted a picture where they mentioned witnessing a Guest… relieving themselves while riding the high-speed roller coaster. ...

In response to this grotesque incident, Redditor u/yankeeinexile mentioned that ride operators should be focused on providing a safe ride experience for Guests instead of worrying about cleaning up bodily fluids and that they hate employees having to go through that.

Other users took this news with great humor, like u/SW_News, who commented, “Iron Gwazi is my #1, but apparently it’s somebody else’s #2,” and u/lostpanda85, who asked fellow Redditors, “That good of a coaster, eh?” ...
FULL STORY (With Photos): https://insidethemagic.net/2022/04/disgusting-accident-iron-gwazi-ea1/
 
This Busch Gardens Tampa visitor had a bad experience on a newly refurbished roller coaster. It wasn't exactly life-threatening, but there's a good chance he was so mortified he wished he'd died.

FULL STORY (With Photos): https://insidethemagic.net/2022/04/disgusting-accident-iron-gwazi-ea1/
Probably ate before riding and had bad reaction to food:omg:. Something that you may not expect and then...

Personally, I eat after enjoying amusement park rides. I have seen people vomiting as well. Never eat beforehand. Golden rule.
 
Probably ate before riding and had bad reaction to food:omg:. Something that you may not expect and then...

Personally, I eat after enjoying amusement park rides. I have seen people vomiting as well. Never eat beforehand. Golden rule.
The precaution I take is to never get on amusement park rides. Works for me.
 
The 'forgotten' rollercoaster disaster of Battersea funfair https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-61235013

I can’t say I knew about it. But it was before I was born.
I just read that before coming on here. My mother scared me so much as a child, telling me people got thrown off rides and killed, that I have never ever been on a rollercoaster.

She had no idea her fear mongering had worked so well until I told her a couple of years ago....I was born one year before this happened.
 
A report here https://adc.bmj.com/content/89/2/103
About playground safety changes and injury prevention.
I've only skimmed over it but it seem pre soft-surfaces, head injuries were common but deaths v rare. Factures seem to be fairly common despite soft surfaces but there are less minor injuries.
Reducing height of equipment was also important. That why you dont see these bad boys any more
View attachment 28005

The report also says that most deaths by playgrounds seem to be accidental hanging or strangulation from rope swings and such :oops:
How many died before they changed everything? I used to end up with grazers that hurt a lot.
You'd probably have to try hard to be killed by one but I'd forgotten how long it is since I saw one - there used to be in every park. They were pretty boring. Do you still get the roundabouts like this which used to be a staple & cause of many an injury from being thrown off?


playground roundabout | My childhood memories, Childhood memories ...
I never got thrown off, I used to let go from shear terror to get off of the damn thing.
Some of the old playground equipment was really dangerous this picture is of a device common when I was young -we called it a Geegaw (no idea why or if spelling correct!) which seriously damaged me as a nine year old - I was doing the same thing as the girl in picture hanging off back but swung forward and got my leg sandwiched between the 'swing' and the tarmac-it literally exploded at the ankle with bits of bone sticking out! I was on crutches for a year!View attachment 28028
I fell off of one at Chapel St Leonards i believe it was, and ducked in time to miss it on the way back, deadly things
Gads, I've heard about stuff like that! Kids finding unexploded ordnance and very bad things happening. At least there weren't a lot of land mines or cluster bomb packets like in some countries
One idiot picked up something from the beach at Skeggy and bought it into Butlins, how the hell the security didnt stop him bringing in a bomb is still a mystery
Honestly i thought it was cool when we got some new see-saws at the park!
But kids today...etc
View attachment 28044
What in the hell is that thing, do they get someone to test these things first, ya know, crash test dummies, or as they are also known as, kids?
View attachment 51416
There are no broken bottles or bits of glass under or around the play area.
There is very little here to spin a small child to the point of dizzy vomiting.
There area is laughingly free of white dog shit.
It is lacking the electrification, a metal hoop and a bell to complete whatever Electrified Hoop Game Hellzone they were thinking of here.


I’d be happier with just more broken glass tbh. Although you may get a new generation of creative pole dancers out of this in future.
HAHAHA, there is no LOL smilie anymore, Mods must have gotten the munchies and ate it, yea it reminded me of that game with the loop with electric .~

Anybody remember The Barrel
Bloody awesome no one could touch me in it, even the big boys came a cropper on this, I reigned supreme
 
Our elementary school (rural) playground had large cement culverts we could play in. In the winter on bitingly cold, windy days, several of us would spend most of recess huddling together in them. Cement is not warm, but at least it kept the wind out.
 
Another bouncy castle mishap.

A bounce house and a Sheriff's helicopter could not co-exist at a Rancho Cucamonga, California police event.

As the helicopter approached its landing spot it inadvertently launched a bounce house into the air and blew some children around. Several were rushed to the hospital. Others sound less seriously injured as well.

I found it odd that ABC's newscaster's report suggested the Sheriff's department felt the fact their presence was anticipated at the show absolves them of any blame? Bad day for whoever decided to locate the bounce house next to the helipad. ...

https://boingboing.net/2022/05/03/t...icopter-blew-a-bounce-house-into-the-air.html
 
Another bouncy castle mishap.

A bounce house and a Sheriff's helicopter could not co-exist at a Rancho Cucamonga, California police event.

As the helicopter approached its landing spot it inadvertently launched a bounce house into the air and blew some children around. Several were rushed to the hospital. Others sound less seriously injured as well.

I found it odd that ABC's newscaster's report suggested the Sheriff's department felt the fact their presence was anticipated at the show absolves them of any blame? Bad day for whoever decided to locate the bounce house next to the helipad. ...

https://boingboing.net/2022/05/03/t...icopter-blew-a-bounce-house-into-the-air.html
Not ignoring the fact that a helicopter came too close to it, but aren't the bouncy castles tied down? I would think they would need to be firmly tied even to prevent a huge wind from taking it away. Unless they are only going to be up for a few hours? I know nothing about these silly things (portable blowups).
 
Never seen one of these - did it actually do anything - revolve for instance, or is it just a big hole?

I haven't (yet) been able to locate information on the example above called "Barrel of Fun", but ...

Here's another piece of playground equipment called "Barrel of Fun" marketed in the 1930s that seems even more dangerous.

Hill=Standard Co_0027.jpg

SOURCE:
Hill-Standard Co. catalog of playground equipment (1932)
https://archive.org/details/HillStandardCo/page/n27/mode/2up
 
Last edited:
Never seen one of these - did it actually do anything - revolve for instance, or is it just a big hole?

Found it ... The playground hut-shaped thingie in the earlier posted photo is the "Earth Tone Barrel Of Fun" (Model 808) marketed by a company named "Miracle." The Bicentennial logo in the lower right hand corner indicates this catalog page dates to circa 1975 - 1976.

And yes - the central "barrel" is designed to rotate, making it a sort of hamster wheel for kids. There are numerous such hamster-wheel playground items that seem to still be marketed to this day.

MiracleCo-BarrelOfFun.jpg
 
Found it ... The playground hut-shaped thingie in the earlier posted photo is the "Earth Tone Barrel Of Fun" (Model 808) marketed by a company named "Miracle." The Bicentennial logo in the lower right hand corner indicates this catalog page dates to circa 1975 - 1976.

And yes - the central "barrel" is designed to rotate, making it a sort of hamster wheel for kids. There are numerous such hamster-wheel playground items that seem to still be marketed to this day.

Right - that looks like it could be fun. The Barrel-of-Fun above it looks guaranteed to cause injuries aplenty.
 
The Miracle company (https://www.miracle-recreation.com) is still in the playground equipment business.

Some cursory scanning through their online catalog failed to turn up any form of "hamster wheel" product(s) they currently market.
 
Found it ... The playground hut-shaped thingie in the earlier posted photo is the "Earth Tone Barrel Of Fun" (Model 808) marketed by a company named "Miracle." The Bicentennial logo in the lower right hand corner indicates this catalog page dates to circa 1975 - 1976.

And yes - the central "barrel" is designed to rotate, making it a sort of hamster wheel for kids. There are numerous such hamster-wheel playground items that seem to still be marketed to this day.

All in response to get students "work ready":rollingw:
 
Back
Top