Letzte Bearbeitung am 22-Jan-04 um 14:25 Uhr ()
Man blames fair's coaster for injury
WEST PALM BEACH -- Bob Kelley describes himself as a "thrill seeker" and a veteran of roller coasters large and small, but Tuesday he warned South Florida Fair goers to skip the Doppel double loop.
He said something, perhaps a support beam, on that ride Saturday afternoon whacked his left arm as he held it above his head, breaking it and his wrist. Doctors had to repair the damage with steel rods and screws in his arm, and the injuries have put him out of work, at least temporarily, he said.
The ride's operators blame the rider, not the coaster.
"I guess this gentleman was leaning out or his arm was outside of the car and struck a support beam," said Howard Pringle, director of operations for Conklin Shows, the company that runs the fair's Midway.
"We have signs stating keep your hands and arms inside the cars at all times," Pringle said.
Pringle said ride inspectors from the state Department of Agriculture came out the following morning and found "absolutely nothing wrong. There was no malfunction of the ride." The ride was open Tuesday; the inspector could not be reached for comment.
Kelley, 37, of Lantana, came with his family to the fair Saturday and headed for the roller coaster at his 10-year-old daughter's request.
Kelley said he saw the warning sign but believes it's unrealistic to expect riders won't wave their hands above their heads. He climbed into a car next to his daughter.
Kelley said he was fine through the ride's two loops, but then the car made an abrupt turn and he felt a "thud" as his arm struck something.
Kelley said he cradled his arm for the rest of the ride. When he exited, he went straight to a sheriff's deputy who called an emergency medical team, he said. They drove him to the gate, and his wife, a registered nurse, then drove him to St. Mary's, where doctors operated. He said he was released Sunday.
Kelley said he never spoke to the ride's operator or fair officials about his injury.
Kelley, a shop foreman for a roofing company, said doctors don't know yet how much, if any, permanent damage was done.
Inspector finds no problems with fair rollercoaster
The state's fair ride inspector reported this week that he found nothing wrong with the Doppel Loop double-looping rollercoaster at the South Florida Fair. He inspected the coaster Sunday, a day after a Lantana man said his wrist and arm were broken as he held them over his head during the ride. The inspector said he found nothing structurally wrong with the ride that has been in operation in Florida since 1995. He also found nothing near the roller coaster that would've caused the accident, said Mike Rinehart head of the state's inspection bureau in Tallahassee.
Rinehart said that such accidents are "very, very uncommon." He added that, "This gentleman, as my inspector described to me, would have to have been leaning way, way out of the car."
Bob Kelley, 37, said he was riding with his 10-year-old daughter when he was struck. He has since undergone surgery for the injuries.
Ein weiteres Beispiel was passieren kann wenn man es übertreibt. (vergleiche One-Click-Driver)
Schade, dass sowas passieren muss. Auch ich fahre gerne mit den Händen aus dem Wagen, werde es auf bestimmten Coastern auch weiterhin tun, aber meine eigene Sicherheit dabei aufs Spiel setzen? Nein danke! Und viele Konstruktionen lassen mich alleine beim Ansehen schon zweifeln ob es ungefährlich ist und selbst bei den Winjas bin ich mit den Händen an eine Holztafel gekommen, was zum Glück gut ausgegangen ist. Aber es gibt einem schon zu denken...
Ich hoffe mal, dass der Text auch andere etwas abschreckt (wer will schon einen gebrochenen Arm haben?). Wenn nicht, dann sollte sich derjenige glaub ich ein paar Gedanken mehr machen...
mfg Boris
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