Cedar Point has a swing set, and it’s bigger than yours. Unfortunately it injured two people, sending one to the hospital Saturday night as a cable reportedly snapped. The incident occurred around 10p.m. on Saturday night. What exactly happened is not clear as of yet.
One of the cables that goes from the top of the swing arm, to the bottom, where it attaches to the ride vehicle reportedly snapped. It’s not clear where the guests were, whether they were on the ride itself or on the ground waiting.
Last year Skyhawk was closed due to mechanical issues. Snapping cables at theme parks can be very serious. In 2007, a cable snapped at (then Six Flags) Kentucky Kingdom, severing a girls foot on the Superman drop tower ride. In 2009, Hyper XL at Knott’s Berry Farm hurt a father and son as a cable ripped through a coaster car, after it snapped on the coaster.
While the cable snapping was very bad, it could have been worse. Many rides use high tension cables of some kind, and the fact that there have been very few incidents on theme park attractions stands as a testament to how seriously theme parks take safety.
Skyhawk remains closed until park officials can repair the problem, and see what went wrong.
Update
The two sent to the hospital were released, and did not sustain major injuries. The rides at Cedar Point resumed normal operation Sunday, with the exception of Skyhawk, which will remain closed until further notice. The ride has been plagued with issues since it’s opening.
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