Man Escapes Moving Arizona Rollercoaster in Mere Seconds after Safety Bar Scare, Video Reveals | US News
A man recounted how he managed to escape from a moving rollercoaster in the US after his safety bar unexpectedly released just as the ride was about to speed down a loop.
Footage captured from the ground shows the man struggling to exit the carriage as Desert Storm, a double-looping rollercoaster, was ascending at Castles N’ Coasters amusement park in Phoenix, Arizona.
He had been commemorating his niece’s birthday and believes his actions potentially saved his life or prevented serious harm.
In an interview with NBC News affiliate KPNX, the man – who preferred to remain anonymous but is from Arizona – explained: “I had a split second to decide whether to stay on the ride or get off.
“As we were climbing, I heard a different click from the usual rollercoaster sound.
“Just as we reached the top, I checked my lap bar one last time and it suddenly released.”
Realizing he was not securely fastened, he made the decision to exit the ride and criticized the operators for their “absolute negligence”.
He alleged that his safety bar was not physically inspected by staff prior to the ride commencing, and they were unaware of the situation above them from their vantage point on the ground.
He added: “The scariest part was their negligence and utter disregard throughout the entire ordeal.
“The staff member should have been monitoring that car and should have activated an emergency release when she saw me climbing out.”
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He stated that he had filed an incident report with the park and called for a revision of Arizona’s regulations, which currently do not oversee state amusement parks.
“There definitely needs to be a change,” he expressed. “All amusement parks that have people’s lives at stake should be more closely regulated.”
Castles N’ Coasters has been reached out to by Sky News partner network NBC News, but has not yet issued a statement.