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Sources included daily news feeds via IAAPA News Daily, ITPS Leisure News, and Amusement Today which link to regional, national, and international media, and cases appearing as “related news” internet links. This analysis included fatal and non-fatal injuries and no-injury accident events at attractions. Ride stoppage / evacuation cases were excluded as were reports from other attractions such as museums and zoos, and within parks related to non-ride related amenities such as retail, scenery, and transportation. Additional searches were performed as needed to clarify the nature of some reports. Additional headlines located for clarification purposes were also logged, but each event was tabulated once, regardless of the number of headlines about the same event.

As reporting is often incomplete, some clarifying comments may be found here, sometimes documenting implications left between the lines of the reports. However, the blog is not making allegations or providing evidence about any of these cases. 

Monthly highlights recap and provide links to cases. Quarterly recaps summarize the cases numerically. Highlights and recaps can be reached by scrolling or the menu at right can be used to select.

(Searchable database is suspended during pandemic.)

For Florida quarterly reports, refer to this link.

July 2022 Ride Report Recap

For July 2022, 21 events were reported as occurring in the month. Six (6) were in fixed site operations, seven (7) in mobile operations, and eight (8) in waterparks. Four (4) reports originated from Asia-Pacific region, nine (9) from Europe including England, three (3) from Latin America, and six (6) from North America. These events involved 14 fatalities, from events reported from Indonesia (9 deceased), Brazil, Mexico, Denmark, England, and Canada (QC), and 46 non-fatal injuries. The two largest non-fatal injury counts were both swing carousels that appeared to tip over in operation, one injuring 18 (China) and the other 15 (Italy).

These tallies exclude reports related to occurrences in previous periods, revisited in the media for various reasons, and reports that are outside the scope of this tally, including stoppages and evacuations, employee injuries, and injury events involving devices outside of scope. These are, however, recapped below.

It must also be noted that tallies represent media coverage compiled through media aggregators in the English-speaking industry, and not the underlying rate of occurrence. Lack of access to non-English reporting may understate occurrence in non-English-speaking regions. In addition, exposure to amusement devices varies regionally, and it would be expected to observe more occurrences where more people are exposed to amusement devices.

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June 2022 Ride Report Recap

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.

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April 2022 Monthly Ride Report Recap

In April 2022, media reports covered eight (8) recordable ride accidents, exposing 24 patrons, including one fatal injury. Three (3) of the cases described operator misoperation, three (3) cases described defective equipment including potential lack of or ineffective maintenance, and two (2) reports did not provide enough information to know what type of event had preceded the injury.

In the month, there were also six (6) headlines about ride stoppages and rider evacuations, four (4) worker injuries during operation or maintenance. Three (3) reports covered new litigation about prior guest injuries, and one (1) report involving a worker claiming damages for a hand amputation, and one fatal injury in a facility parking lot. There was also one report (1) about the closure of a facility that referenced a past fatal derailment.

Updates were made to reports from March 2022 and September 2021.

Date of last update: 05 May 2022.

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March 2022 Monthly Ride Report Recap

In March 2022, media reports covered six (6) recordable ride accidents, three of which involved a fatal injury. These included three (3) malfunctions involving loss of structural integrity of the device, two (2) riders ejected from a ride in motion, one without restraint devices and one with restraint devices that did not retain the rider in the seat, and one (1) injury sustained by a rider moved by ride forces.

In the month, there were also three (3) headlines about rider evacuations, a fatal worker injury, an unintended contact during ride testing, and a rider losing momentum during a waterslide experience and crawling to an evacuation point. Reports also revisited a case in previous periods arising out of settlement in the litigation for the cases.

Date of last update: 26 May 2022.

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February 2022 Monthly Ride Report Recap

In February 2022, media reports covered five (5) recordable ride accidents, including one derailment (malfunction), two fall events (one involving multiple people), one patron encroachment on closed attraction, and one exposure to chemical vapour.

In the month, there were also two (2) headlines about stranded riders, and multiple injuries sustained in a structure fire, both outside of scope of ride accidents. Reports also revisited two cases in previous periods arising out of settlement in the litigation for the cases.

Date of last update: 10 March 2022.

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