In June 2022, there were 14 amusement ride injuries reported in the media. Six (6) occurred in waterparks, four (4) at mobile operations (fair / carnival) and four (4) at fixed site operations. Seven (7) were reported from European sites, four (4) from North America, two (2) from Asia-Pacific and one (1) from Latin America. Three patron injuries were fatal, all of which were at waterparks, but one of which involved a bystander experiencing a medical event adjacent to an attraction.

04 June 2022, at Santa Rita Fair, Chihuahua in Mexico, the ride operator started a flat tracked kiddy ride without ensuring the cart door was closed. The vehicle moved beyond the parent’s reach and the child fell out. The child’s injuries were treated in hospital. Link

06 June 2022, a vertical revolving ride, the Turbo Booster, at Vienna Prater in Austria experienced a power failure, causing the ride vehicle to be held in an inverted position. During the stoppage, the rider fainted and required medical care. The report indicates that another person fainted elsewhere at same time, but is unclear whether the other instance is related to a ride. Link

06 June 2022, at Vaihingen an der Enz Fair, operated by Dreßen, the lap bar “detached” or “came loose” from an Octopus ride while the ride was in motion. An adult woman in the ride vehicle was unable to hold on and was ejected. The reports do not describe the location/position of the lap bar after the ride was stopped, so it is unclear from the reports whether the translation means the latch detached (opened) or the bar separated in its entirety (both hinge and latch). Link | Link | Link

06 June 2022, at Ala-Too Waterpark, Kyrgystan, a 10-year-old boy drowned in the waterpark pool. Link

08 June 2022, at Waterworld indoor waterpark in England, 110 people were evacuated and 46 were treated, including at least 2 seen at hospital due to a chemical spill, for symptoms including eye and throat irritation, skin irritation, nausea. Park accused emergency services of overreacting. Link | Link | Link

09 June 2022, at Monroe Aquatic and Fitness Center in USA (NC), a 5 year old girl was rescued from drowning, hospitalized in critical condition. Link | Link

12 June 2022, at Deventer Fair in Netherlands, a sweep of the horizontally revolving ride Speed Flip (themed as “Toxic”) fell and struck the platform, sending one of the two occupants to hospital. Link

On the “weekend” (11 or 12 of June 2022), a pendulum disk ride at Ataturk Park in Turkey separated from the ride, and on impact with the platform, three (3) of the occupants were injured, requiring hospital care. Link

14 June 2022, a patron was fatally injured at Galudih waterpark pool in India when struck by another patron’s waterslide boat. The pool was reportedly not only unregistered but overcrowded, lacking operational supervision to ensure no participants entered into the path of other sliders. Link | Link

14 June 2022, at Adventure Reef Waterpark in USA (OH), a submerged toddler was rescued from a pool. The child was comforted on site and did not require medical attention. Link

14 June 2022, at Toverland park in Netherlands, a five-year-old child self-extracted from the ride vehicle of the Tolly Molly, a horizontally revolving ride, while in motion. For care of his injuries, he was air lifted to hospital. Link

18 June 2022, at a Fair in Nibbixwoud, Netherlands, in a walkthrough funhouse with various moving elements, a 12 year old girl’s companion tripped, causing her to fall. and her long hair was entangled in treadmill, scalping her. Link

23 June 2022, at Splash the Boro waterpark, in USA (GA), a 70-year-old woman bystander adjacent to the lazy river experienced a medical event and collapsed, falling into the water. Although she was recovered, she could not be revived. Link

Reports of injury in previous periods

Events occurring in prior periods receive media coverage for various reasons, often because of litigation milestones (claims filed, decision reached), anniversaries of notable events, and references arising from recent similar events.

In connection to litigation, a report referred to an event of 07 July 2021, in which an adult male rider on the Cyclone roller coaster at Lakeside Amusement Park reportedly struck his arm against track/structure within reach of the ride vehicle while riding with his arms in the air. Link

Excluded reports

Some media reports are outside the scope of the database. Riders stuck on stopped rides are popular topics for human-interest stories. Also excluded are media reports that cover multiple cases without specifics of each case. Employee injuries are also excluded, but can attract media interest. 

02 June 2022, a worker operating the Surf (vertically revolving bench style ride) at Alenquer in Brazil was fatally injured. The worker was somehow below the elevated bench and his head was trapped between the bench and the platform. Operators typically must stand outside the danger zone when the ride cycle is running. The bench is suspended on a pendulum. Link

23 June 2022, at Walibi in Netherlands, a worker was caught between the ride vehicle and platform of Splash Battle, a tracked boat ride, sustaining fatal injuries. Link

29 May 2022, reported in June, a rider on a pirate ship pendulum ride at Matjesfest in Germany dropped their glasses, and the worker bent to retrieve them and was struck by the ride vehicle, sustaining fatal injuries. Link

25 December 2021, another update was reported for a worker fatality from Old Port Montréal. See December 2021 Monthly Ride Report Recap.

26 June 2022, a roller coaster at an unspecified park in Nanjing, China, was stopped by a rider who pressed a panic button during the ride cycle. While this is reported as a ride “going wrong”, the ride evidently provided this option for riders as an intentional feature, and it appears that the feature operated as designed. Link