It was like freezing cold lightning. Eventually, they put it all together in 1978, to form Action Park.if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'everything80spodcast_com-medrectangle-4','ezslot_3',104,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-everything80spodcast_com-medrectangle-4-0'); Water slides were the main attraction, but the park was divided into three sections. They would draw out the cases so long that it became too much trouble to even pursue. Rather, it was an almost unavoidable aspect of Action Parks appeal. The area was getting popular as Hugh Hefner had opened a Playboy camp in the same area and there were hopes the area could be the next Vegasor at least Atlantic City. As it turns out, there's a very good reason your body and mind are reeling in terror when you go on amusement park rides because some of them, like the following, are downright deadly. Action Park came out at the right time, in the right place, with the right approach. A lot of people have a fear of heights and a lot of people love the thrill; but after tragedy struck at a theme park in Santa Clara, people might be more afraid than not. It was total chaos, but also super fun and a great way to grow up., For his part, Kimmel thinks all that fun as well as all that fear were simply one in the same. Most of which have to do with the sliding safety standards surrounding the park's rides. The parks Tarzan Swing catapulted helpless attendees into water so cold that it could induce shock, and triggered a lethal heart attack in 1984. The one at Six Flags: New England has a particularly sketchy history: in 2001, 22 people were sent to the hospital after a train collision, while in 2004, a man with cerebral palsy was thrown from the ride to his death. Not only was the Alpine Slide among the parks premier attractions, in July 1980, it was also the site of the first fatality on the premises when a 19-year-old employees sled jumped the track, and he suffered a fatal head injury after striking a rock. I swam all around, trying to find the surface, but there was just darkness everywhere, and I couldnt get my bearings, he tells me. So you can understand why this is seen as one of the most dangerous parks in the States. Ive been to my fair share of sketchy carnivals and amusement parks. How is this real? Anyway, my uncle ultimately smashed the barrier hard enough on his last run to dislocate his shoulder, and we went home., James, a 46-year-old from Trenton, had gone to more traditional amusement parks as a kid, but a cool aunt turned him on to Action Park. It was a place where you could do whatever you wanted without anybody telling you no, one at a time or dont try to drown your friends in the wave pool. For children of the 1980s and 1990s, Action Park represents everything were nostalgic for. This was supposed to be a Lazy River ride, but the owners wanted to create the experience of whitewater rafting. But none of these places can compare to Action Park. A man was struck by a metal plate and never recovered. Theme parks are supposed to be harmless and light-hearted, but statistically speaking, some are more dangerous than others. Without further ado, here are 20 of the most dangerous theme parks in the US. The track was made of fiberglass and concrete with a nice mix of asbestos mixed in. All ties were severed, and he was no longer connected to the state. He quickly added go-carts and waterslides, eventually ending up with around 75 attractions by the mid-1980s. He tells me these werent the people you wanted to watch your dog, much less hundreds of kids with a death wish. WebIn this video, we explore the notorious Action Park, known as America's most dangerous water park. This dual theme and water parkis a Midwestern favorite, but doesn't have the best track record. We jumped BMX bikes off of homemade ramps and did flying elbows off of our garages onto a pile of mattresses. The water was so filled with gas and oil that you dare not fall into it. It also doesn't help that back in 2004, a little girl was thrown from a ride that still stays in commission to this day. Most infamous of all the rides was the famed Cannonball Loop, a water slide with an enclosed loop in it. It's 2020 and people seem to have things dialed in and semi-secure, but not everything works out the way it's supposed to. Other minor incidents have been reported to have taken place at this theme park, according to the IAAPA. This is one of the reasons why it's been deemed "the most dangerous" theme park "ever." I vividly remember the stories and news reports of this place and this is a look back at what can be considered the most dangerous amusement park ever. 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Only four months after its inception, the waterpark unveiled the attraction: a spine-shivering 170-foot-tall slide that was almost as scary to ascend with its 264 steps as it was to slip down the 17-story drop. Even if you tried to sue the park, you probably werent going to end up with much because the insurance company wasnt even real. Statistically: 10 Most Dangerous Theme Parks In The World (No Family Should Consider), Rye Playland, NY: People Thrown From Rides And Food-Borne Illnesses, Six Flags, Multiple Locations: Roller Coasters Derailing With Passengers, King Island Amusement Park, Ohio:7 Injured On A Water Ride, Schlitterbahn Waterpark, Kansas City: People Thrown From Rafts In Mid-Air, Mt. Soon after winning the Super Bowl, the 1986 New York Giants went to Action Park to celebrate, Porges says. Double that for a weekend. Additionally, there have been 110 reported injuries. Not only are kids getting pummeled by the rides, but by each other. But kids were finding the gas tanks and lighting the balls on fire to shoot them. People who grew up going to and working at Action Park repeatedly compare it to a real-life 1980s movie., People were just running around drunk, getting sunburned and passing out from exhaustion and near-drowning experiences, Seccia adds. How about rides that try to replicate the speed and action of downhill skiing? The Suspended Catch Air Device (SCAD) Tower sidesteps this problem by having no safety equipment whatsoever. 5 of the Most Dangerous Amusement Park Rides Ever Opened 1 Son of Beast roller coaster. This ride, the crown jewel of the Kings Island amusement park in Ohio, is exactly what you might imagine when you hear the words terrifying 2 Verrckt waterslide. 3 The Catapult. 4 Cyclone. 5 Thunder River Rapids In a case of the simulation being a little too much like the real thing, a mysterious accident on the ride killed six and injured ten more back in 2010. 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When Action Park was first opened in 1978, over 100 swimmers had to be rescued from one of its wave pools. It was now just a regularand very safewater park. While there have been no major injuries reported at this park, it's only a matter of time before something goes wrong. The next thing I remember is coming on to the deck around the water with a lifeguard over me. In the late 1970s, he began looking for a way to make money during the summer months. Since these attractions bring in a ludicrous amount of money a year, it's highly unlikely there will be changes. A park like this wouldnt last two minutes today, but remember: this was the 80s. In one case, a cable flew off one of the rides and struck several people. As James waited, the crowd started yelling at him to get the fuck in the tube, so he did. I was told that those were the ones you used for the chili dogs. In many situations, the thrilling nature of the park came at the cost of safety. Someone fell into the water and a fan short-circuited, electrocuting them. 5 Dining Changes at Disney Parks ALL Guests Should Be Aware Of (February 2023), Action Park: America's Most Dangerous Amusement Park, Everything We Know About Mattel's New Theme Park (So Far!). Remembering the greatest decade, the 80s. Ocean City, New Jersey. They proudly showed me the skid-mark-like scars that burnished their thighs after riding down the Alpine Slide. Ball bearings were in between the two balls and you would sit in this thing as it rode on a PVC track down a mountain. The rides almost seemed like they were pulled from a deranged childs brain that had zero concept of death being permanent. You wouldn't think a ride at Disney World would be among the most dangerous, but EPCOT's Mission: Space has claimed numerous casualties since it first opened back in 2003. I dont think we had that person., Brian, now 35, grew up in West Milford, the next town over from Action Park. Looking back, It seems pretty horrifying, but at the time, this was just par for the course. The park was eventually acquired once more by Eugene Mulvihill in 2010. CONFIRMED - Disney's Typhoon Lagoon To Reopen In March, Blizzard Beach To Remain Open! In particular, Disney World in Florida has had some pretty awful things happen, including that very publicized event with the alligator. Donald Trump even went to check out Action Park to see if it was worth investing in. Which of the following will provide the largest amount of money? Which is fine, except space travel is incredibly dangerous. As most of us know, the biggest issue with the Sea World parks, including Discovery Cove, is that the animals are unhappy and agitated. Ride security wouldnt even try to slow down the rate of tubes and just let kids go, resulting in multiple pile-ups. It got so bad that pictures of injuries were included at the top of the ride as a warning to see how dangerous this thing was. I remember listening in terror as someone recounted going down an intensely steep waterslide and receiving what they called a freshwater enema.. Here are the most dangerous amusement park rides at Action Park and other elements that made it so parlous. They were leaving the track in their car and driving through the grass. The slides steep chute was enclosed by a thin net and balanced on numerous metal poles. Andy Mulvihill commented on the deaths which occurred in the park, which he personally lived through. But the park still exists, albeit in an entirely new form. In the fantastic documentary Class Action Park we get some great insights into everything that went on. An area with the slides, an area with pools, and then Motor World mostly made up of go-karts and anything with an engine. There's good reason the park earned the nicknames "Traction Park" and "Class-Action Park," as no fewer than six people have been killed at the park over the years, with causes including everything from drowning and electrocution, to being hit in the head with a giant rock. Stuck in quarantine, these guys built roller-coasters in their backyards, Tickle Me Kaczynski: How the Inventor of the Ultimate Elmo Toy Became a Unabomber Suspect, Real Italians Put Hot Dogs and French Fries on Their Pizza, The Other Drug War: Inside the World of Counterfeit Viagra, The $65 Million Art Heist That Put Oceans Eleven to Shame. While this photo looks dangerous enough, it wasn't the reason why Valleyfair's Soak City Waterpark in Shakopee, Minnesota, was deemed one of the most dangerous parks in the U.S. In 2002, a park employee was kicked in the head by a dangling rider, while in 2008 a teenager trying to sneak into the park was actually decapitated after being hit by the ride. Over the years, a number of them have sued the park for personal injuries. And unfortunately, occasionally there were some unfortunate results that occurred where people pushed themselves too far, he said. Hint: It might be by foot. It definitely beheaded dummies during test runs. But when it came to injuries, there was one ride to rule them all: The Alpine Slide. The river had underwater fans that kept the water moving. He suffered numerous injuries at Action Park, including skinning his body multiple times on the Alpine Slide, and a case of whiplash after being slammed into by another sled. The biggest difference between Action Park and other theme parks was that kids often have a fear of rides, but everything usually turns out fine. On two separate occasions the trains have malfunctioned, leading to stalls and crashes that injured a total of 46 people. Almost all of them have had to do with their dangerous rides or their poor maintenance. Crank Yankers executive producer Jonathan Kimmel had heard stories about Action Park for years before he finally got to experience it himself. In our opinion, parks like these should be shut down and these animals should be rehabilitated and released. Seven children were among those injured in 2016 when five gondolas plunged 30 feet to the cement floor. Across the pond, M&D's Motherwell theme park was fined over a ride crash. Dangerous rides or their poor maintenance finally got to experience it himself the trains have malfunctioned, leading to and! Man was struck by a metal plate and never recovered horrible experience for me and my father my. Had underwater fans that kept the water moving a matter of time before goes. Were leaving the track after having crashed, and he was no longer connected to deck! Been deemed `` the most dangerous theme parks are supposed to be rescued from one the! Slide with an enclosed Loop in it today, but statistically speaking some! 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