Is it safe to ride rollercoasters at amusement parks? Recent reports from the Los Angeles Times and ABC 7 News indicated that California rollercoaster rides recently led to the serious injuries of two visitors to a Santa Clara park, and the death of a third at a Six Flags theme park in Valencia. Thousands of people visit amusement parks each year, but do the thrill rides put us at serious risk of a life-threatening accident?
Child Death at Six Flags Park
According to the Los Angeles Times, 10-year-old Jasmine Martinez exited from the Revolution ride at Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia, California after losing consciousness. Theme park officials reported that the girl “came into the ride station unconscious” after the rollercoaster route had concluded. The Revolution rollercoaster, as Six Flags describes it, “climbs up a 113-foot hill, then swoops through slopes and a long, steep straightaway to a 90-foot-tall vertical loop.”