Incidents at Premier Parks Properties

This is a summary of notable incidents that have taken place at amusement parks, water parks, or theme parks managed by CNL Income Properties. This list is not intended to be a comprehensive list of every such event, but only those that have a significant impact on the parks or park operations, or are otherwise significantly newsworthy.

The term incidents refers to major accidents, injuries, or deaths that occur at a park. While these incidents were required to be reported to regulatory authorities due to where they occurred, they usually fall into one of the following categories:

1. Caused by negligence on the part of the guest. This can be refusal to follow specific ride safety instructions, or deliberate intent to break park rules.
2. The result of a guest's known or unknown health issues.
3. Negligence on the part of the park, either by ride operator or maintenance.
4. Act of God or a generic accident (e.g. slipping and falling), that is not a direct result of an action on anybody's part.

Darien Lake

Main article: Darien Lake

• On September 6, 2009, the body of a Pennsylvania man, William Sutherland, who had been reported missing the day before was found in one of the small lakes inside the parking lot. The cause of death has not yet been determined.

Ride of Steel

• On May 16, 1999, a 365 lb (165 kg) male guest was unable to close his lap bar properly and was ejected and fell approximately 9 feet from the Ride of Steel roller coaster as the ride went over a "camel hump" hill, suffering serious injuries. The victim sued the park and the ride manufacturer Intamin for negligence, and was awarded US$3.95 million.

• On July 8, 2011, a 29-year-old guest was killed when he was ejected from the Ride of Steel roller coaster. The rider, an Iraq War veteran whose legs had been amputated, was on the front row of the roller coaster when he was thrown from the train during the course of the ride. Park officials stated that the ride was in proper mechanical order and that the various safety restraints were also working normally at the time of the incident, but that the attraction would remain closed pending an investigation.

Elitch Gardens

Main article: Elitch Gardens Theme Park

The Rainbow

• In May 2002, a 28-year-old man with Down syndrome opened his seat restraints and stood while the ride was in motion, subsequently falling to his death. Witnesses reported that the victim unlatched his seat belt and maneuvered himself out of the lap restraints.

Sidewinder

• In August 1997, a ride operator suffered a fatal fall from the three-story roller coaster platform. OSHA fined the park over $32,000 as a result.

Tower of Doom

• On October 31, 2014, 2 separate incidents occurred on the ride, consecutively after each other. The first occurred when the launch mechanism failed. The riders were let off safely following the mechanism successfully launching. The second occurred when a boy received a bloody nose while on the ride. A hazmat team cleaned the blood on the ride before riders were allowed back on.

Blazin' Buckaroo

• In June 2013, a 5-year-old boy attempted to climb out of the ride and was hanging off of the side. According to witnesses, the boy squeezed through the restraints. However, the boy riding next to him pulled him back into the car.

Magic Springs and Crystal Falls

Main article: Magic Springs and Crystal Falls

Old No. 2 Logging Co. Log Flume

• On September 4, 2006, an unidentified 11-year-old boy was injured when a stray .22 caliber bullet struck him in the wrist. Police had no suspects in the case.

Twist and Shout

• On July 30, 2006, a 45-year-old woman from Memphis, Tennessee fell from the Twist and Shout coaster due to centripetal force. The victim fell about 11 feet, and was taken to a local hospital. Inspectors said that the victim was too large for the ride, causing the restraints to not work properly. A report by the Arkansas Department of Labor stated that the ride operator should not have let her occupy more than one seat on the ride. The victim sued the park and the ride's importer for US$16 million, claiming that the park failed to seat her properly, and that the ride did not provide adequate safety features.

X-Coaster

• On June 9, 2007, a bird or other large animal crossed electrical wires in nearby Hot Springs, Arkansas, causing a 25-minute long power outage to the park. This caused many of the park's rides to shut down. Twelve riders on X-Coaster were left hanging upside down 150-feet above the ground for 30 minutes. Those riders were rescued by the local fire department who used a generator to provide enough power to the ride so the vehicle could coast to a lower access point. Riders on other attractions were evacuated by park employees without incident. Nausea was the primary complaint of the rescued X-Coaster riders, although one 37-year-old X-Coaster rider was taken to the hospital complaining of neck pain and a headache. The park has experienced minute power outages in the past with no incidents.

Waterworld California

Main article: Waterworld California

Banzai Pipeline

• On June 2, 1997, a group of 33 high school seniors from a school in Napa attempted to break a school record for the most riders on the slide at one time. The riders' weight was more than three times the slide's maximum capacity, causing a section of the slide to collapse. A 17-year-old student died due to injuries. 32 students were sent to local hospitals for treatment. In 1999, 14 of the victims reached a US$4 million settlement with the park owner, Premier Parks; the slide's designer and manufacturer, WhiteWater West, and the Napa Unified School District.