That meant the asphalt was absorbing and reflecting all the heat from the sun and turning peoples feet into mincemeat. It sounded like American Gladiators in water. As it turns out, a lot. By far, the most deadly attraction at Action Park was the Tidal Wave Pool. Half of all the Action Park deaths took place at this location. The Tidal Wave Pools waves and strong riptide were generated by massive pressure chambers. Sometimes right underneath you. The most important rule was to not let go too soon or youd land on cement. What do you get when you combine teenagers, a water park, New Jersey, and alcohol? In the documentary, they point out that any cops that showed up were probably given some monetary encouragement to keep ongoing. Not only are kids getting pummeled by the rides, but by each other. I was only eight or so, but I distinctly remembering thinking, What the fuck is happening here? Do we have time for one more? Every city had its own small version of Action Park. In 2014, Schlitterbahn Waterpark in Kansas City was racing to produce the worlds largest water slide to be featured on the showXtreme Waterparks. For as long as they've been around, amusement parks have attracted billions of people since the first amusement park opened in 1846. But none of these places can compare to Action Park. Initial testing on this ride had people coming back unconscious. But, according to the Amusement Safety Organization, at least six other major accidents were reported between 2006 and 2010. They proudly showed me the skid-mark-like scars that burnished their thighs after riding down the Alpine Slide. Youd be flying down the side of a literal mountain and suddenly see that the person in front of you had gotten scared and stopped and was inching their way down, you know, because it was scary. As with most things about my childhood, later on in life I began questioning if the wild things I saw that day could possibly be true. The name was changed back to Action Park. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, Action Park unofficially known as Class Action Park, Traction Park and Accident Park was Lord of the Flies with a Jersey twist and a higher death count. The ride used class-4 rapids, which I dont have to explain to you, is not for amateurs. Super Nintendo World Will be Bigger and Better at Epic Universe! We are one ofthe worlds largest theme park guide sites, hosting detailed guides to more than 80 theme parks around the globe. Undoubtedly, Americas most dangerous amusement park remains nostalgic for those who spent their summers there as a kid. Furthermore, Son of Beast was the only wooden roller coaster of its time to attempt a vertical loop. Still, if you need to get to the Ticket and Transportation Center, here's a tip: take the ferry. Perhaps the most deadly attraction, however, was the Tidal Wave Pool. Every member of my family seemed to have gotten hurt and/or nearly drowned there. Ouch. This ride took four lives in 2016. Jettisoned by the sheer force of the water, those adrenaline junkies brave enough to enter often ended up with their teeth embedded in the walls of the slide. And it may be dangerous to speak up. It became notorious And water parks werent really a thing yet. Nobody actually died in it, but the park had to build a hatch into the loop so stuck visitors could climb out before they drowned or got hit by another patron. The area became known as Action Park, a thrilling adventure for the family featuring water slides, go karts, a wave pool, and an alpine slide. You get one of the most dangerous amusement parks of all time.if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[580,400],'everything80spodcast_com-box-3','ezslot_5',102,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-everything80spodcast_com-box-3-0'); Action Park was a water park in Vernon, New Jersey that ran from 1978 to 1996. You may want to avoid this one unless you really like being a daredevil. Not only was the Alpine Slide among the parks premier attractions, in July 1980, it was also the site of the first fatality on the premises when a 19-year-old employees sled jumped the track, and he suffered a fatal head injury after striking a rock. Heres another one: They took a giant ball with another ball inside. When Action Park first opened, it started with a two-day promotion, including a Dolly Parton look-alike contest, and a tobacco juice spitting competition. But the park still exists, albeit in an entirely new form. We jumped BMX bikes off of homemade ramps and did flying elbows off of our garages onto a pile of mattresses. Located in the center of Gold Rush Town, a section of Australias popular Dreamworld amusement park, Thunder River Rapids was once a favorable tourist attraction. And in 1996, Action Park finally shut down after being overwhelmed with you guessed it personal injury lawsuits. The worker was seriously injured, as was the passenger. But that wasnt the main problem: the water was actually freezing cold spring water with live trout in it. Job Automation Using ChatGPT Could Make These Jobs Obsolete Is Your Job On, 18 Weird Facts About Sea-Monkeys You Wont Believe Are True, Including Their, Top 200 Nielsen DMA Rankings (2023) Full List, The Surprising Story Behind The NBC Chimes, 7 Pictures Of Naked People Captured By Googles Cameras, 20 Famous People Who Are Members Of The Sleepless Elite, How To Change The Default LG TV Home Screen To Live TV, The Best Caddyshack Quotes: 30 Famous Caddyshack Quotes Thatll Make You Laugh, Controversial Nimbus 2000 Vibrating Harry Potter Broomstick Has Parents In An Uproar, Is Your Hatch Restore Already Registered? The leading independent voice for aviation news and insight. These abandoned amusement parks will give you the creeps. Visitors of the park also jumped from the Diving Cliffs, under which was a pool painted white. But their Canyon Blaster roller coaster is responsible for a few horrible events. Can It Survive Long-Term? Pripyat Amusement Park in Pripyat, Ukraine was supposed to open on May 1, 1986, but five days before its scheduled opening, the Chernobyl disaster occurred nearby, resulting in thirty deaths in the months following the This was due to an event where the coaster stopped upside down after failing to stop at the station. This two-passenger ride consisted of a small metal cage, long cables, and supporting metal poles. In 2008, the King Kahuna ride at the Kennywood Amusement Park in West Mifflin, Pennsylvania was briefly shut down. But it wasnt just Cannonball Loop; there was Cannonball Falls, which was a water slide that would launch you out ten feet in the air into a 17-foot deep pool below. Thankfully, I didnt get too ripped up from the friction., He found the makeshift pool at the end though, its own kind of death trap. It definitely beheaded dummies during test runs. There have been so many deadly, dangerous rides at New Jersey's Action Park, we couldn't narrow it down to just one. Olympus Water & Theme Park, the most frequented amusement park in Wisconsin Dells, was the site of one of the most dangerous rides ever opened: the Catapult. My whole body shook, but I didnt let go. Naturally, this has resulted in numerous incidents at SCAD Towers around the world (including a 12-year-old girl who suffered multiple fractures, a brain injury, and was paralyzed for several years) , due to the nets being at the wrong height, not deployed at all, or people missing the net entirely. Copyright 2009-2020 Theme Park Tourist, website by Siruss. A park worker was busy on his cell phone, dropped it, and ran into a moving passenger on one of the train cars. how to safely take your kids to amusement parks, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. When I recently saw an old ad on YouTube, it reminded me exactly how I felt the first moment I discovered the parks existence: I was desperate, begging my mom to let me go to Vernon, New Jersey, as soon as humanly possible. It also doesn't help that back in 2004, a little girl was thrown from a ride that still stays in commission to this day. Three years later, a power outage at Luna Park brought the roller coaster to abrupt stop along its journey, and riders were once again obliged to walk down the steep steps that line the track. Theme Park Tourist is one of thewebs leading sources of essential information and entertaining articles about theme parks in Orlando and beyond. Most infamous of all the rides was the famed Cannonball Loop, a water slide with an enclosed loop in it. Mulvihill, however, was determined to make it work. As youre riding down it, kids are shooting out of the tubes next to you. Of course, all of this digging led to new questions. Amusement parks are supposed to be harmless and light-hearted, but it doesn't always turn out that way. It was a simple idea: swing out and release into a pool below. Dylan has also written for Narcity and various other entertainment, food, and travel publications. Seven children were among those injured in 2016 when five gondolas plunged 30 feet to the cement floor. But seeing that these attractions bring in a ludicrous amount of money a year, it's highly unlikely there will be changes. Even worse is the park's main wooden roller coaster which, according to Desert News, is responsible for even more awful events. While other roller coasters have since eclipsed it in terms of speed and height, few have eclipsed it in terms of danger. So it's no surprise that this Six Flags roller coaster is among the world's deadliest. It now goes by the name Mountain Creek Waterpark. I started sliding down into the darkness, and I guess the guy finally noticed me go because suddenly the cold water hit my ass from the hose. That program lasted a few months before it was canceled., Next, he found himself in the Beer Hut. But they obviously needed it to stay open. Like: What the heck were my parents thinking taking me there? Mulvihill could do whatever he wanted. It's responsible for taking out a double amputee war veteran in 2011. Castles N' Coasters is a popular amusement park in Arizona. As the injuries and violence piled up, news reports started to spread. And unfortunately, occasionally there were some unfortunate results that occurred where people pushed themselves too far, he said. The Tagada may not be as fast or as steep as a roller-coaster, but it is certainly more dangerous. Unofficially known as Class Action Park, Traction Park and Accident Park, it was Lord of the Flies with a Jersey twist and a higher death count. Hint: It might be by foot. So, unless you are very healthy and can handle crazy roller coasters, you may want to give this one a miss. The park offered employees $100 to test ride the Cannonball slide, and crash dummies reportedly were mutilated. It was never open on any trip I made there, he tells me. In the late 1970s, he began looking for a way to make money during the summer months. The most horrific of these injuries was the last: A ten-year-old boy was thrown from the raft, struck his head against a metal pole, and was gruesomely killed. How is this real? Anyway, my uncle ultimately smashed the barrier hard enough on his last run to dislocate his shoulder, and we went home., James, a 46-year-old from Trenton, had gone to more traditional amusement parks as a kid, but a cool aunt turned him on to Action Park. But according to The Amusement Safety Organization and The International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions, there are places in the U.S. that are substantially more dangerous than others. CONFIRMED - Disney's Typhoon Lagoon To Reopen In March, Blizzard Beach To Remain Open! The Big One at Pleasure Beach Blackpool in Blackpool, England, was the tallest and steepest roller coaster in the world when it opened in 1994, with a drop of 205 feet and Picture a hamster ball, but for human beings. But now the park was fully open to the public. Then, on the way down, when you actually skin your knee, youre like, I knew I shouldnt have done this. After you survived, though, you did feel a real sense of accomplishment.. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. In 1978, a new amusement and water park opened in Vernon Township, New Jersey in hopes of drawing more visitors to the Vernon Valley Ski Resort. An older man fellnearly 17 feet from a roller coaster and suffered serious injuries. The water was so murky from a muddy runoff, human excrement, and open wounds, that it was almost impossible to see the bottom. During the first few years of operation, Action Park saw the most injuries come from the alpine slide where carts would regularly derail after brakes failed to malfunction or the driver (most often children) did not apply the brake in time. Bill Benneyan/HBO Max. The 10 amusement parks below have a history of danger and negative reviews, which is why a family considering a trip like this should reconsider going to these specific parks below. And that's just in Florida the Monorail at Disneyland in California also has one fatality to its name, though that was due to idiocy by a teenager who climbed up on the tracks and got run over. It doesn't matter which one you go to, things can happen anywhere. Today, no one would even consider installing something like this. When Action Park opened in the late 70s, they could get away with anything. I think it attracted the daredevils, it attracted the wild and crazy people - people that really wanted a thrill, Andy said. Kids were getting rocked on this ride and having to be pulled out of the pool. The biggest difference between Action Park and other theme parks was that kids often have a fear of rides, but everything usually turns out fine. The simple idea behind this monstrosity is that it hoists people way up high, and then drops them in a freefall, down to a net below. abandoned amusement parks will give you the creeps. While most visitors often only left with a scrape or bruise, others were unlucky enough to receive broken bones, bloody noses, concussions, and worse. A chair lift would take you to the top of the hill where you got on a little cart that had a stick to control braking and speed. They kept sending us free passes to go back so we went again but I was extremely cautious and only went on one ride a kayak where you simply paddled around a sort of lazy river, McKeown said. Ive been on roller coasters where you could see pieces missing and new wooden beams put in their place. Was Three Mile Island an Accident Waiting to Happen. This could be an excellent investment, as they could use it for skiing in the winter and recreation in the summer. Over the years, a number of them have sued the park for personal injuries. She co-hosts the podcast Hollywood Crime Scene and has lots of things in development that will probably never happen. ), A slide called the Cannonball (the first version) seemed like a safer bet. The ride had previously caused a number of bruises, broken bones, and other injuries. Is Disney's Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser Failing? It was a daredevils dream, just like these incredible amusement parks. Action Park became equal parts famous and infamous for its wildly unregulated and objectively dangerous rides. 5 Dining Changes at Disney Parks ALL Guests Should Be Aware Of (February 2023), Action Park: America's Most Dangerous Amusement Park, Everything We Know About Mattel's New Theme Park (So Far!). 1:38. The temperature of the water would practically put you in hypothermic shock, and my uncle once wiped out on the Alpine Slide.. It became notorious for being unsafe with many accidents and was a place where rules didnt necessarily have to be followedby visitors or owners. At least Alabama Adventure Amusement Park in Bessemer shut down the Wild River Gorge Ride after it overturned and trapped numerous riders back in the summer of 2009. This event resulted in tragic results for the family involved. By the parks closure in 1996, Action Park was responsible for a total of six deaths. People living near the Disneyland park was not satisfied with. Throughout its lifetime as the Tidal Wave Pool, the attraction resulted in at least three drownings and hundreds of injuries, earning this attraction the well-deserved nickname of the Grave Pool. I was told that those were the ones you used for the chili dogs. Rules arent just being avoidedtheyre not even being enforced. The Hong Kong citizens. You wouldn't think a ride at Disney World would be among the most dangerous, but EPCOT's Mission: Space has claimed numerous casualties since it first opened back in 2003. Two of those unfortunate guests died, one from heart failure and the other from a brain hemorrhage subsequent lawsuits found the park blameless as the ride's extreme centrifugal force triggered preexisting conditions. Boardwalk theme parks tend not to be as heavily regulated as bigger attractions such as Disneyland, therefore you'd expect them to be the key place where incidents occur.