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From what I understand, the victim was a teacher.

Sadly, our society is so focused on wanting immediate resolution to an issue that sometimes we take it upon ourselves to rectify it ASAP. Even if we are not qualified, cleared, trained to do so.

In today's amusement/theme parks across the US, the safety regulation are much stricter than when I worked at King Dominion on the Rebel Yell. We used to go on "Hat Checks" to retrieve anything that had fallen to the ground. We would get a small trash bag and walk along and UNDER the ride while it was in operation. We pick up hats, eye glasses, woman's purses/handbags, park merchandise, and other stuff that I prefer not to go into. (Sorry, cell phones were not an item we worried about because they did not exist back then). The bottom of the first drop was so low to the ground, that it was fenced off in addition to the ride perimeter fence. We had to be VERY ALERT when in that section because I was tall enough that I could stick my head between the tracks. I could have gotten my head knocked off if I stood up when a train was coming down the 1st drop. We also were responsible for adding or removing the 2nd trains from the tracks.

Today, NO ONE is allowed under the ride unless it is in lock-down mode. The ride has to be in an inoperable state while any park employee is under the ride or in the ride path of motion. Usually maintenance folks are the only ones to be able to lock-down a ride. I believe only maintenance personnel are allowed to add or remove a train from a coaster.

Given the stricter safety rules, most parks emphasize that you must secure all looses items. That the ride operators cannot shut down the ride because you lost something. That's why so many parks currently limit retrieval of lost objects until the end of the operating day. And that is why so many folks get irate and want immediate resolution. Then, if they get no satisfaction from the park employees, they take it upon themselves to try and retrieve it themselves. Sadly, with occasional fatal results.

There is no way to get around these current safety regulations. I can understand why parks do not want to have to shut down a ride, especially a coaster, every time a person loses something. Think how much area a large coaster usually covers and having to comb through all that ground looking for something as small as a smart phone. It could take 30 minutes to over an hour to search. And, even then, park workers might come back with nothing.

Unfortunately, the Raptor coaster has several low spots in its layout and most of the ride is close to public pathways. I think it was too much of a temptation for the guy to quickly climb over the fence and try to find his cell phone.

It seems most similar reported accidents happen with suspended coasters. With the coaster cars suspended below the track, people misjudge the clearance and get struck by a passing train. The B&M suspended coaster trains extend down close to 6 feet below the track rails. A tall person's legs might dangle an inch or two below the bottom of the ride carriage.

Like I said earlier, Raptor has several low spots in its ride path. The ground clearance could be between 5-6 feet in those areas. If a 6 foot+ person entered the area when a train was about to pass through, then I can understand why the person did not survive.

I am not sure what Cedar Point could do to improve the ride safety perimeter. Add more explicit warning signs? Maybe the chain link perimeter fence needs to be replaced with a type of fence that KD has around the Dominator; especially for coasters that are along public pathways. That style of fence does not offer any hand/toe holds like a traditional chain-link fence and would be very difficult to climb over without assistance (on both sides of the fence).

In any case, a person lost their life over a cell phone. More than likely a phone that was damaged anyway when it fell from the ride. Sad, just sad, for the family and friends of this man and for Cedar Point.
 
Here's the exact spot where the accident happened. I'm not exactly sure where this is but I think it's around the last roll by the helix. As you can see in the photo, that section of track comes fairly low to the ground.

 

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I will add that Six Flags America has cases of broken phones and other stuff dropped from rides on display at the entrance to there rides a long with the warning that lost item will not be returned. It makes an impression on the other hand I am always careful about items even without the warning.
 
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I read that he lost his wallet, as well, which is probably harder to go the day without and much more likely to be stolen.

And no, I am not condoning or justifying what he did.
 
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MAZ said:
This Six Flags thing seems like a backwards policy to me. Telling patrons that lost articles will not be returned, may provoke action by them to retrieve them on their own.

I feel the policy is good as it gives people an incentive to actually keep their stuff secure. Either on platform or in a secure pocket. The signs are placed at the entrance to all the rides giving you time to actually put your stuff away.
 
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Its sad that he had to go to such extremes and ultimately lose their life for a cell phone. But losing a wallet would bother me too ( i dont think id go to those lengths to retreive it), But there should be someway to get items (meaning things like wallets not cellphones)like that for someone who has lost it on the ride.
 
I believe the position of most parks is that one should not bring anything on a ride that one would regret losing.  The "no loose articles" policies on most coasters are there to protect guests' belonging, as well as everyone who might get hit by things falling out of pockets (or wherever).  Honestly, if you can't live without your wallet, leave it somewhere safe, or put it in a pocket that zips up.

Expecting the operators to shut down a ride completely, because you ignored that policy is insanely selfish, and no one can safely walk around under coasters, while they are running.
 
MAZ said:
This Six Flags thing seems like a backwards policy to me. Telling patrons that lost articles will not be returned, may provoke action by them to retrieve them on their own.

You should see the signs part of it is they pick stuff to display that are clearly completely destroyed so you can see what happens to anything that falls.
 
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I understand why they do this. I also understand that it promotes locker usage and less loose articles on the ride. These are the 'good side' of the policy. I am merely pointing out the other 'bad' side effects of their current policy.
 
MAZ said:
I understand why they do this. I also understand that it promotes locker usage and less loose articles on the ride. These are the 'good side' of the policy. I am merely pointing out the other 'bad' side effects of their current policy.

I really don't see any bad side effects to displaying broken mobile devices as a way to deter people from carrying them on rides. Park visitors need to see a jarring image of what could happen to their precious phones and considering the crowds that Six Flags brings in company-wide, this may be the only way to get that message across.
 
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Unagi said:
MAZ said:
I understand why they do this. I also understand that it promotes locker usage and less loose articles on the ride. These are the 'good side' of the policy. I am merely pointing out the other 'bad' side effects of their current policy.

I really don't see any bad side effects to displaying broken mobile devices as a way to deter people from carrying them on rides.  Park visitors need to see a jarring image of what could happen to their precious phones and considering the crowds that Six Flags brings in company-wide, this may be the only way to get that message across.
I never said there were any bad side effects of displaying broken stuff. I was referring to the policy of NOT returning lost articles to people and them possibly trying to retrieve them on their own as being a 'BAD' possible side effect of said policy.
 
I'd just like to say, this guy sounds like a Division 1 Idiot. He had no regard for rules, consequences, the possible emotional damage to his family and the riders on the train that killed him, or his own safety. All for a stupid cell phone which he *most likely* had out on the ride, against the rules. Now just because he wanted a freaking cell phone, he got himself killed, ripped a hole in his friends and family's hearts, delayed a major announcement, caused bad rep for an otherwise spotless park and caused emotional trauma to innocent bystanders. All for a stupid cell phone.

I know its considered poor taste to speak porrly of the dead, but this guy sounds like a fool. How can you not hear a GD train coming on an old school B&M!? He jumped a fence, stood directly in the trains path, and then wasn't even aware enough to see or hear a multi ton train flying towards him at 50mph. What an idiot.
 
Reggae, I'm not saying he got what he deserved, I don't wish that on anyone, ever, No matter how stupid they are.

It wasn't one single mistake, it was multiple large mistakes that could have been very easily avoided by looking at the track and where his phone was and saying,"hmmm that doesn't look safe." Then he could've read one of many of those safety signs posted all around the fence, which he might have not seen, or just ignored entirely. Then he could've looked both ways before grabbing his phone and getting out of there quickly.

But before any of that started, what should have happened was telling someone of authority what happened.

EDIT: And poof, like that was never even posted
 
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TrevorBondi said:
I'd just like to say, this guy sounds like a Division 1 Idiot. He had no regard for rules, consequences, the possible emotional damage to his family and the riders on the train that killed him, or his own safety. All for a stupid cell phone which he *most likely* had out on the ride, against the rules. Now just because he wanted a freaking cell phone, he got himself killed, ripped a hole in his friends and family's hearts, delayed a major announcement, caused bad rep for an otherwise spotless park and caused emotional trauma to innocent bystanders. All for a stupid cell phone.

I know its considered poor taste to speak porrly of the dead, but this guy sounds like a fool. How can you not hear a GD train coming on an old school B&M!? He jumped a fence, stood directly in the trains path, and then wasn't even aware enough to see or hear a multi ton train flying towards him at 50mph. What an idiot.

Agreed!

Raptor's rails aren't sand-filled to mute the sound and that thing roars!  You have to be deaf to not hear it coming!

Now while I do feel bad for his family and friends, I have absolutely no sympathy for him.  And after learning the fact that he had an accomplished career as an educator it makes one wonder why he, of all people, would make such a boneheaded decision that cost him his life.

Here's an update on the accident that was just released within the last hour...

http://fox8.com/2015/08/18/police-images-and-witnesses-place-man-in-restricted-area-prior-to-deadly-cedar-point-accident/

SANDUSKY – A Sandusky police incident report on last week’s fatal accident states that a witness and pictures show the man was inside the restricted area of the Raptor roller coaster.

The report states that friends who were with James Young last Thursday at Cedar Point, told police that they went on the ride with Young and when he got off the roller coaster he couldn’t find his phone.

Young thought he dropped the phone while riding the Raptor and went back to look for it.

Police say Young entered the restricted area and was struck by the Raptor ride train. Police say Young’s cell phone was never found.

“Cedar Point personnel provided reporting officer still pictures of the people riding the Raptor during the accident,” the report states. “In viewing these pictures, it clearly shows Young in the restricted area and Young’s head being struck by the metal support bar, under the Raptor train.”

Police say they are continuing to talk to witnesses and say it may be several more days before the investigation is complete.
 
Shane said:
I think something parks could do to promote keeping loose articles off of rides is to provide free lockers. Lockers are such a money grab for parks though. If they sucked it up and provided them as a free service to all guests this might not be an issue.

I hear free hot sexy fanny packs are also a viable option to keep people from losing their stuff.
 
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