Current:Home > reviewsA roller coaster was shut down after a crack was found in a support beam. A customer says he spotted it. -MacroWatch
A roller coaster was shut down after a crack was found in a support beam. A customer says he spotted it.
Charles H. Sloan View
Date:2025-04-09 03:24:56
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! (8)
Related
- Jamie Foxx gets stitches after a glass is thrown at him during dinner in Beverly Hills
- Here are the top reactions to Caitlin Clark becoming the NCAA's most prolific scorer
- How a student's friendship with Auburn coach Bruce Pearl gave him the strength to beat leukemia
- Freddie Mercury's London home for sale after being preserved for 30 years: See inside
- NHL in ASL returns, delivering American Sign Language analysis for Deaf community at Winter Classic
- Mega Millions winning numbers for March 1 drawing as jackpot passes $600 million
- Vanderpump Rules' Lala Kent Is Pregnant With Baby No. 2
- Weakening wind but more snow after massive blizzard in the Sierra Nevada
- Paige Bueckers vs. Hannah Hidalgo highlights women's basketball games to watch
- Black women struggle to find their way in a job world where diversity is under attack
Ranking
- A South Texas lawmaker’s 15
- SpaceX calls off crew launch to space station due to high winds along flight path
- Organization & Storage Solutions That Are So Much Better Than Shoving Everything In Your Entryway Closet
- Getting off fossil fuels is hard, but this city is doing it — building by building
- Rylee Arnold Shares a Long
- Stock market today: Japan’s Nikkei tops 40,000, as investors await China political meeting
- Millions of Americans are family caregivers. A nationwide support group aims to help them
- Firefighters face tough weather conditions battling largest wildfire in Texas history that has left 2 dead
Recommendation
Buckingham Palace staff under investigation for 'bar brawl'
Rihanna performs first full concert in years at billionaire Mukesh Ambani's party for son
Nikki Haley wins the District of Columbia’s Republican primary and gets her first 2024 victory
Texas WR Xavier Worthy breaks John Ross' NFL combine record with 4.21-second 40-yard dash
Megan Fox's ex Brian Austin Green tells Machine Gun Kelly to 'grow up'
'Everything is rising at a scary rate': Why car and home insurance costs are surging
LeBron James becomes the first NBA player to score 40,000 points
This diet swap can cut your carbon footprint and boost longevity