8 amusement park investigations in Missouri since 2012
Thirteen people have been injured on amusement park rides in Missouri since 2012.
The 10-year-old son of a state lawmaker died earlier this year after he was decapitated on the Verruckt water slide in Kansas City.
ABC 17 News uncovered eight amusement park investigations since 2012. A 63-page report details more than a dozen injuries and no fatalities.
The Division of Fire Safety is in charge of investigating any amusement ride accident when three or more people are taken to the hospital. Third party companies are in charge of inspecting rides and making sure errors are fixed.
Verruckt, at the Schlitterbahn water park in Kansas City, the tallest water slide in the world, still remains closed.
ABC 17 News researched one case at Six Flags in St. Louis that sent four people to the hospital in May. The report revealed that a chain malfunctioned on the ride Boomerang and caused the wheels on one cart to fall off. Investigators found that nothing was wrong with the wheels; the ride remains closed.
Inspectors noted several mistakes in the report. The third party inspection report was incomplete. The investigation did not indicate what was inspected, or if the inspection was approved.
Mike O’Connell, with the Missouri Department of Public Safety, said the division is not responsible for making sure ride errors are fixed, and that third party inspectors are responsible. O’Connell said the state, inspectors and ride operators all play roles to make sure rides are safe.
