Current:Home > StocksA roller coaster was shut down after a crack was found in a support beam. A customer says he spotted it. -FutureFinance
A roller coaster was shut down after a crack was found in a support beam. A customer says he spotted it.
View
Date:2025-04-14 04:24:36
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! (38)
Related
- 'Malcolm in the Middle’ to return with new episodes featuring Frankie Muniz
- Plane crashes and catches fire on North Carolina highway with 2 people escaping serious injuries
- Cambodia welcomes the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s plan to return looted antiquities
- Prosecutors vow to seek justice for Maria Muñoz after Texas wife's suspicious death
- Highlights from Trump’s interview with Time magazine
- California prisoner dies after recreational yard attack by two inmates
- Hungary’s Orbán says he won’t hesitate to slam the brakes on Ukraine’s EU membership
- The title of Bill Maher’s new book promises “What This Comedian Said Will Shock You”
- Trump issues order to ban transgender troops from serving openly in the military
- Judge blocks Arkansas law that took away board’s ability to fire state corrections secretary
Ranking
- Realtor group picks top 10 housing hot spots for 2025: Did your city make the list?
- Matthew Perry’s Cause of Death Revealed
- 'American Fiction' review: Provocative satire unleashes a deliciously wry Jeffrey Wright
- Boston holiday party furor underscores intensity of race in the national conversation
- Bodycam footage shows high
- Gov. Mills nominates 1st woman to lead Maine National Guard
- Ohio Senate clears ban on gender-affirming care for minors, transgender athletes in girls sports
- Nursing baby giraffe dies after being spooked; zoo brings in grief counselors for staff
Recommendation
Could Bill Belichick, Robert Kraft reunite? Maybe in Pro Football Hall of Fame's 2026 class
Federal agents seize illegal e-cigarettes worth $18 million at LAX
A Tesla driver to pay $23K in restitution for a 2019 Los Angeles crash that killed 2 people
Give the Gift of Cozy for Christmas With These 60% Off Barefoot Dreams Deals
Small twin
South Korea scrambles jets as China and Russia fly warplanes into its air defense zone
Lights flicker across NYC as brief power outage affects subways, elevators
Sacramento councilman charged with illegally hiring workers, wire fraud and blocking federal probe