Boy falls from Coney Island amusement park ride

Coney Island is known for its amusement parks and is a place for families to go for some summertime fun. One New York family was enjoying their time at Coney Island earlier this month when their fun turned tragic.

A 5-year-old boy and his 8-year-old sister were riding on the Sea Serpent roller coaster children’s ride at a Coney Island amusement park when the boy got scared and jumped off of the ride.

The boy’s sister said he was able to wiggle underneath the lap bar and though she tried to hold onto him she wasn’t strong enough. The little boy fell and landed between the ride and the track.

The 5-year-old, who was trying to get to his mother waiting below, suffered a broken leg, but the results of the accident could have been even more serious. The boy’s mother was reasonably in hiteriscs when she saw her child fall from the ride.

An inspection the same day determined that the ride was up to code; however, safety experts say that more could have been done to prevent the accident.

One safety expert said that the ride should have individual safety harnesses in addition to a lap bar in order to keep young children in their seats.

The vice president of the amusement park said the park would listen to any safety recommendations offered by city engineers and inspectors.

Although we would like to think that city codes and regulations will keep us safe, that is not always the case. Unfortunately, it often takes a near tragety like this one for safety hazards to be identified and fixed.

Source: ABC Local, “5-year-old boy hurt on roller coaster on Coney Island,” Matt Kozar, Aug. 15, 2013