10 Amusement Park Rides That Were Banned After People Died

Fujin Raijin II

Expoland

Once one of Japan’s premier amusement parks, Osaka’s Expoland entertained visitors for decades until a tragic accident in 2007. Part of Fujin Raijin II, a standing coaster, derailed, and a 19-year-old college student lost her life. As well as the death, dozens more were injured and many required hospital treatment. The cause for the crash? The ride had been neglected by the park for fifteen years, and the axles eventually couldn’t handle the load anymore since they had never been replaced. Expoland was never able to recover from the accident since nobody wanted to go anymore, and less than two years later, in 2009, the entire park had shut for good.

Verrückt

Schlitterbahn Kansas City

This water slide was once the main attraction at Schlitterbahn water park in Kansas City, even receiving awards and briefly being the world’s tallest water slide, but that changed after a horrific accident in 2016. A weight discrepancy on the raft led to a 10-year-old boy, Caleb Schwab, losing his head after the raft became airborne and struck a pole. Schwab was also the son of Scott Schwab, a Republican politician in Kansas. The ride’s designers had criminal charges brought against them for second-degree murder, though the case was thrown out of court. Nobody rode Verrückt again after the accident, and it has since been destroyed.

Perilous Plunge

Knott’s Berry Farm

In 2001, the Perilous Plunge flume ride at Knott’s Berry Farm in California caused a fatal accident just one year after it had opened in 2000. A woman somehow slipped from her restraints and fell to her death, in an accident that tarred the ride’s reputation for years afterward. The ride didn’t immediately close, though it continued to be plagued with various technical issues for the next eleven years until it was finally shut down and dismantled in 2012. The park’s attempts to make the ride safer just caused other problems in different areas; luckily though, after the 2001 incident, nobody else lost their life.

Mind Scrambler

Playland

The Mind Scrambler in Playland, New York claimed two lives during its tenure in the park, with the latter being that of a Playland employee who was working and had attended the park for her whole life. Gabriela Garin was thrown off the ride when it was started by another employee who didn’t follow the proper safety guidelines; Garin was trying to help riders with their restraints at the time. Just three years earlier, a 7-year-old girl died in the same way, and those safety guidelines were put in place to stop anything like it from happening again. It’s not entirely clear why the rules weren’t strictly followed, but the two deaths led to the Scrambler being shut for good.

Derby Racer

Revere Beach

Wooden roller coasters technically aren’t more dangerous than modern, steel ones – that is, so long as they’re properly looked after. Many of them aren’t and this has led to lots of nasty accidents over the years, including two horrific wooden roller coaster crashes at Revere Beach in Boston. Possibly the most famous dangerous coaster was Derby Racer, which caused no less than five deaths in separate incidents over the years where people were thrown from the trains; it was ultimately demolished in 1936. Revere Beach also hosted Lightning, which was only in operation for six years and didn’t even make it two days before killing a parkgoer. It was shut in 1933.

Thunder River Rapids Ride

Dreamworld

As one of the most common theme park rides in the world, river rapids rides are widely regarded as safe and good fun for people of all ages. However, their reputation was tarnished in 2016 after a gruesome accident at Dreamworld in Australia. Carrying a total of 6, the raft crashed into another and flipped over; four died in all. The tragedy shook the entire country and many of the park’s guests, with Dreamworld closing for a few weeks. Shockingly, the attraction was found to have myriad mechanical failures and design flaws that had already caused numerous, dangerous breakdowns, landing the park a hefty fine - and the eventual permanent closure of the ride itself.

Sydney Ghost Train

Luna Park Sydney

Luna Park in Sydney, Australia became the home of Australia’s deadliest theme park attraction in 1979, when the park’s Ghost Train burned to the ground late one evening. The fire left people trapped inside the ride and seven people lost their lives. As the ride was totally destroyed there was no risk of it reopening, but the disaster horrified Australia and to this day survivors and witnesses are campaigning for a full investigation into the fire. It’s still not known how the fire started, though some have speculated arson, and many have claimed that the cops did not do their due diligence at the time and might have even been corrupt.

The Tidal Wave Pool [aka The Grave Pool]

Action Park

The most infamous theme park in American history is, of course, Action Park, which operated in New Jersey for most of the 1980s. It was famous for its non-existent health and safety rules and the high danger of its attractions. Though the Cannonball Loop is Action Park’s most notorious ride, it wasn’t operational long enough to cause any deaths. The Tidal Wave Pool, on the other hand, caused at least two – but was also so dangerous that twelve lifeguards needed to be there at all times to rescue people non-stop. Shockingly, the wave pool is still functional as part of Action Park’s replacement, Mountain Creek – but it’s been so heavily modified to make it safer it’s not the same.

Big Dipper

Battersea Park

The worst theme park accident to ever occur in the U.K., five children lost their lives in a grisly crash on this roller coaster back in 1972. The Big Dipper was a wooden roller coaster and had already suffered a fire in 1970, though the ride survived and nobody was harmed. While the roller coaster train was making its way up the first incline, the chain malfunctioned and the train went backward, where it derailed. As well as the five deaths there were dozens of injuries, not to mention the trauma of the survivors and families of the victims. The tragedy, which may be the worst roller coaster accident in history, led to the ride being immediately shut down and quickly dismantled.

Haunted Castle

Six Flags Great Adventure

Eight teens lost their lives one evening in May 1984, after becoming trapped in Six Flags’ Haunted Castle when a fire broke out. An additional seven people were injured in the blaze, in what remains the deadliest theme park accident on record. The fire had many contributing factors, perhaps the most significant being that it did not have a sprinkler system. This meant the fire spiraled out of control and completely destroyed the structure. Six Flags was taken to court for manslaughter but was found not guilty on the basis that the fire was arson and not a result of negligence from the park or employees – despite the fact the attraction wasn’t up to code.