Current:Home > StocksA roller coaster was shut down after a crack was found in a support beam. A customer says he spotted it. -EliteFunds
A roller coaster was shut down after a crack was found in a support beam. A customer says he spotted it.
View
Date:2025-04-16 06:52:54
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! (7436)
Related
- Macy's says employee who allegedly hid $150 million in expenses had no major 'impact'
- Nordstrom Rack Has Jaw-Dropping Madewell Deals— The 83% Off Sale Ends Today
- On a Melting Planet, More Precisely Tracking the Decline of Ice
- Machine Gun Kelly and Megan Fox Are Invincible During London Date Night
- Romantasy reigns on spicy BookTok: Recommendations from the internet’s favorite genre
- Drought Fears Take Hold in a Four Corners Region Already Beset by the Coronavirus Pandemic
- Why Ayesha Curry Regrets Letting Her and Steph's Daughter Riley Be in the Public Eye
- Princess Diana's iconic black sheep sweater is going up for auction
- Federal court filings allege official committed perjury in lawsuit tied to Louisiana grain terminal
- In Michigan, Dams Plus Climate Change Equals a Disastrous Mix
Ranking
- The Daily Money: Spending more on holiday travel?
- Mayan Lopez Shares the Items She Can't Live Without, From Dreamy Body Creams to Reusable Grocery Bags
- Deaths from xylazine are on the rise. The White House has a new plan to tackle it
- Unchecked Global Warming Could Collapse Whole Ecosystems, Maybe Within 10 Years
- DeepSeek: Did a little known Chinese startup cause a 'Sputnik moment' for AI?
- Pregnant Serena Williams Shares Hilariously Relatable Message About Her Growing Baby Bump
- Kate Spade 24-Hour Flash Deal: Get This $360 Reversible Tote Bag for Just $89
- “We Found Love” With These 50% Off Deals From Fenty Beauty by Rihanna: Don’t Miss the Last Day to Shop
Recommendation
'Squid Game' without subtitles? Duolingo, Netflix encourage fans to learn Korean
American Whitelash: Fear-mongering and the rise in white nationalist violence
Transcript: Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Face the Nation, June 25, 2023
Carbon Tax and the Art of the Deal: Time for Some Horse-Trading
Mets have visions of grandeur, and a dynasty, with Juan Soto as major catalyst
American Climate Video: In Case of Wildfire, Save Things of Sentimental Value
Will a Greener World Be Fairer, Too?
America’s Wind Energy Boom May Finally Be Coming to the Southeast