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Theme Parks Give Injury Data; Experts Give Safety Tips

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By KEITH MORELLI | The Tampa Tribune

Published: July 23, 2008

Updated: 07/23/2008 05:28 pm

TAMPA - The new generation of mega-fast, topsy-turvy amusement rides -- often meshes of twisted metal that defy gravity and common sense -- are a sure bet to get the hearts of Florida's theme park patrons thumping.

Now and again, those gut-turning rides can end in pain and sometimes, though not often, death.

There are reports of seizures and dizziness, and some say they just have to catch their breath after turbulent rides. More than a few report nausea. Some complain of injuries to their private parts on waterslides or bruises on legs at the go-cart rides. Most are relatively minor.

A review of injuries at parks across the state during the past seven years shows that most of the injuries are from people climbing in and out of the rides. They misstep and break an ankle or fall and fracture a shoulder. Bumped heads are fairly common.

Not all the ride incidents are inconsequential.

Walt Disney World reported that 14 people -- who were getting on or off or were near rides -- have died since 2001. One died at Universal, records show.

Many of those people had existing medical conditions, reports state, such as heart ailments or terminal diseases. They ranged in age from 4 to 81. Most died after being taken to nearby hospitals, many a day or so later. The state's records do not say with any certainty what caused the deaths.

Army veteran and Iraq war survivor Jason Blossom escaped enemy fire and was injured at a children's slide at Adventure Island two years ago.

"It knocked me out," said 29-year-old Blossom, who says his mishap has cost him nearly $100,000. "It took 14 to 15 minutes to completely come to."

Blossom, of Ruskin, is 100 percent disabled after his service in Iraq. It took a tumble at the water park slide to damage his spine, give him a concussion and land him in federal court, he said.

On a hot July day in 2006, he and some relatives decided to cool down at the water park, which is next to Busch Gardens in Tampa.

"I had been in pool therapy at the VA," he said. "I asked my physical therapist, and he said, 'Just don't go down any weird slides and you'll be fine.' "

He said his second trip down a children's slide on an inner tube ended badly.

"It was a very easy-going ride," he said. At the bottom, a lifeguard was reclaiming the inner tubes. "The lifeguard grabbed it," he said, "and flipped me over backwards."

Blossom said he plunged into about 2 feet of water head-first and hit the concrete bottom.

He was taken from the park to University Community Hospital, where an MRI revealed he had a concussion but no brain damage, he said. He later learned that the tumble left him with herniated discs in his neck and back, he said.

He said he would never have raised a stink about it but that his medical bills have begun to mount and Busch officials reneged on an offer to pay them.

He said he is suing the park for about $90,000 that he owes, and that doesn't include surgery his doctors are recommending.

Gerard Hoeppner, spokesman for Busch Entertainment, said the park disputes Blossom's allegation. He said attendants at rides and slides are trained in safety.

"The standard for us is safety in everything we do," he said. "It's a priority." There are safety messages everywhere in the form of signs, and attendants also caution guests, he said.

"We remind our guests that they have a responsibility as well," he said. "We point out to guests with medical or pre-existing conditions … that they shouldn't ride or they should use judgment in determining if this ride is safe for them.

"Our end of the covenant is that we design or buy the best rides in the marketplace," he said. "What we can't control is a guest's action."

Blossom's federal case is scheduled for trial in Tampa in November.

Log Of Injuries

Each quarter, major theme parks in Florida voluntarily report to the state how many people have been injured in rides. In vague terms, they describe what happened and the result. A check of the record shows that Busch Entertainment never reported the Blossom incident. There is no clear, across-the-board requirement that major theme parks provide the information to the state. It's up to each park to decide, authorities say.

Tales of heart trouble, dehydration and, in some cases, broken bones emerge from the grade-yourself report card for Florida's theme parks, made public every three months by the state's Bureau of Fair Rides.

Busch Gardens, Tampa's only theme park on the list, reported no such incidents for the first half of this year. It reported two injuries, both at Adventure Island, in 2006, but neither was Blossom's. Busch reports injuries only if the person spends a night at a hospital, Hoeppner said

Most of the ride-related injuries happen in the theme-park-rich Orlando area. One was a terminally ill 6-year-old boy who died after riding Space Mountain in August 2006. Another was a 4-year-old who lost consciousness on Epcot's Mission: Space ride in June 2005 and later died.

This year, Walt Disney World reported 15 incidents on its rides, ranging from passengers' stomach issues at the Animal Kingdom's Expedition Everest ride to chest pain on Magic Kingdom's Splash Mountain.

Theme parks in Florida are big business. According to the Themed Entertainment Association, Busch Gardens Africa in Tampa pulled in 4.4 million visitors in 2007, ranking it 19th among the world's parks.

Walt Disney World recorded attendance of a little more than 17 million people in 2007, making it the world's most popular theme park, the association reported.

Disney spokeswoman Kim Prunty said the number of people injured compared with overall attendance is small.

"The safety of our guests and cast is our top priority," she said. "With the sheer size and scope of our operations, we recognize that a small percentage of the millions who come here will require medial attention."

Generally, said Rob Jacobs, spokesman for the Bureau of Fair Rides, carnival-type rides such as roller coasters, upside-down track rides and those that spin in the air are fairly safe.

The number of injuries on those rides, he said, "has been pretty consistent over the years. Most of the accidents are in go-cart tracks and water parks."

Across the nation, the number of amusement-ride injuries that end up with a visit to the hospital has grown steadily, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, which attributes the increase to growing park attendance and a growing number of parks. The commission calls the increases, for the most part, "statistically insignificant."

Hospital treatment of people hurt on amusement rides increased from about 15,400 in 2005 to 17,800 in 2006, the commission reported. Last year, there were about 18,800 injuries.

Florida Flush With Parks

Florida is home to about 180 permanent amusement or theme parks and more than 220 traveling amusement companies.

The newer, bigger, faster rides are fairly safe in the view of Bill Avery, a consultant and risk-management expert specializing in amusement rides and former safety manager with Busch Gardens and SeaWorld.

"I've thought about the bigger, faster; the dynamics of the new rides," Avery said. "I'm not sure if any of that is a safety factor. If you look at what happens around the country, many of the incidents we are seeing are on the older-style spinning rides - the same kind that Grandpa and Grandma used to ride."

Newer rides feature improved safety features, including state-of-the-art restraints, and are operated by computers, "so it takes a lot of the risk out of it," Avery said. "The more decisions you take away from operator, the better you are."

He agrees that lots of times, injuries happen when people are climbing into or out of the rides.

"A lot of the smaller rides have a slight motion in them," he said. "They will move a little bit when you step up or down, and that adds to potential for injuries to happen. Plus, they are not standard steps. They are a little higher or elevated, and that makes it more dangerous."

Improvement in reporting is needed in the amusement-ride industry, he said. Each theme park uses different criteria, and some injuries just go unreported.

"Reports are predicated on who gives the reports," he said. "Does everyone follow the same sheet of music? Absolutely not."

If someone is slightly injured in a ride and gets medical treatment the next day, that may not get reported, he said. If someone gets hurt and is taken to the hospital, only to be treated and released, that may not be reported, he said.

He estimated that 13 percent of accidents that require medical attention go unreported.

"A lot," he said, "slips through the cracks."

SAFETY TIPS

Children's Rides

•If a child is afraid of a ride, don't put that child on the ride.

•Before boarding a ride, read warning signs aloud -- and together – to children and explain the rules. Ask children to repeat what you tell them.

•Explain that rides sometimes stop temporarily and that riders must never get off until the operator tells them to.

•Talk about what to do they get frightened. Explain that amusement rides might seem scary, but that as long as rules are followed and the youngsters remain seated, there should be no danger.

•Tell children to hold on tightly with both hands to lap bars or handholds.

•Solid metal lap bars on some rides only fit as close as the largest passenger in the car, often leaving children with room to slide around. If a lap bar doesn't fit tightly, a child in a fast-moving ride can slip under the bar.

•Don't put children on rides they have outgrown. Maximum height and weight limits are just as important as minimum limits.

•If you can't count on your child to stay seated and keep hands and feet inside, don't let them ride.

General Safety Tips

•Read the rules and follow all height and age restrictions and instructions offered by ride operators.

•Keep all body parts, including hands, arms, legs, heads and even long hair, inside ride at all times. Riders with long hair should put it up or wear a hat.

•Always use safety equipment such as seat belts, shoulder harnesses, lap bars or chains. If you think the restraint is not properly positioned, you should ask the ride operator.

•Remain in the ride until it comes to a full stop at the unloading point. If a ride stops because of a mechanical failure or for another reason, stay seated and wait for the ride to start again or for an operator to tell you what to do.

•Never ride while under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

•Don't board a ride if you see broken parts, signs of improper maintenance or an inattentive operator. Watch and listen to the ride before boarding. You can learn a lot about a ride and its condition by observing.

Source: Avery Safety Consulting

Reporter Keith Morelli can be reached at (813) 259-7760 or kmorelli@tampatrib.com.

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