Current:Home > ScamsA roller coaster was shut down after a crack was found in a support beam. A customer says he spotted it. -WealthMap Solutions
A roller coaster was shut down after a crack was found in a support beam. A customer says he spotted it.
View
Date:2025-04-11 15:38:52
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! (3271)
Related
- From family road trips to travel woes: Americans are navigating skyrocketing holiday costs
- Massachusetts governor says AI, climate technology and robotics are part of state’s economic future
- US House chair probes ballot shortages that hampered voting in Mississippi’s largest county
- What grade do the Padres get on their Juan Soto trades?
- Stamford Road collision sends motorcyclist flying; driver arrested
- Texas judge to consider pregnant woman’s request for order allowing her to have an abortion
- Life Goes On Actress Andrea Fay Friedman Dead at 53
- Tearful Adele Proves Partner Rich Paul Is Her One and Only
- Kylie Jenner Shows Off Sweet Notes From Nieces Dream Kardashian & Chicago West
- A record number of fossil fuel representatives are at this year's COP28 climate talks
Ranking
- Romantasy reigns on spicy BookTok: Recommendations from the internet’s favorite genre
- National security advisers of US, South Korea and Japan will meet to discuss North Korean threat
- Arizona man connected to 2022 Australian terrorist attack indicted on threat counts
- Taylor Swift Deserves a Friendship Bracelet for Supporting Emma Stone at Movie Screening
- Trump's 'stop
- Stock market today: Asian shares slide after retreat on Wall Street as crude oil prices skid
- Did you get a credit approval offer from Credit Karma? You could be owed money.
- Westchester County Executive George Latimer announces campaign against Congressman Jamaal Bowman
Recommendation
Whoopi Goldberg is delightfully vile as Miss Hannigan in ‘Annie’ stage return
Who are the starting quarterbacks for New England Patriots vs. Pittsburgh Steelers?
What to know about Hanukkah and how it’s celebrated around the world
Soda for your dog? Jones releases drink catered to canines (and 'adventurous' owners)
Selena Gomez engaged to Benny Blanco after 1 year together: 'Forever begins now'
Europe’s talks on world-leading AI rules paused after 22 hours and will start again Friday
What grade do the Padres get on their Juan Soto trades?
Indiana’s appeals court hears arguments challenging abortion ban under a state religious freedom law