Toddler airlifted to hospital after falling from 78-year-old wooden roller coaster that had NO seatbelts
Declan McClain was at the theme park in Pennsylvania, USA, when he fell off the ride with his brother as investigators now try to find out if the train malfunctioned
A TOT who fell from a 78-year-old wooden rollercoaster that had no seatbelts has been taken to hospital.
Three-year-old Declan McClain was riding the amusement with his older brother, 7, when both fell from their carriage.
A spokesman for the amusement park said: "The Rollo Coaster has been one of Idlewild’s signature rides since opening in 1938. An incident such as what occurred yesterday has never happened before in the ride’s 78-year history.
"The Rollo Coaster, like every ride and attraction at Idlewild and SoakZone, is inspected by the park’s maintenance team, which includes state-certified inspectors, each day before opening to the public.
"Inspection Affidavits are shared with the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, the state agency responsible for inspecting and registering amusement park rides, every 30 days according to state regulations.
"The ride is also inspected by an independent safety consultant/third-party inspector annually."
In a subsequent statement they said: "Our thoughts and prayers continue to be with the boy and his family."
The ride is now closed until the investigation finishes but it passed an assessment by a private inspector just days before the accident happened on Thursday.
A spokesman for Pennsylvania’s Department of Agriculture said: “The department is working with the amusement park’s staff and local officials to investigate.
“As part of that investigation, the department has an inspector on site to inspect the ride, and we are examining the inspection history.
“At this point, we know the ride was most recently inspected by a private certified inspector on August 6, 2016, and that it passed that inspection.”
He added: “There are more than 1,650 inspectors that the department has trained and certified to monitor rides in an effort to strengthen public safety.
“The department has inspected and registered amusement rides under the Amusement Ride Safety Act since 1984.”
The ride opened in 1938 and takes thrill seekers up, down and around a wooded hillside.
Amy Bellan was at the park on Thursday with her family and said her son first rode the coaster last year when he was two-years-old.
“Their height restrictions are only 36 inches. So unfortunately they don't have seatbelts on there. It's only a bar.”
The amusement park’s rules state that the height requirement for the ‘Rollo Coaster’ is 36 inches but that riders under 48 inches must be accompanied by an adult.
Another mum, Kelly Howard, took her sons, 3 and 5, on the ride earlier that day and told TV news station WPXI that: “I had to literally hold him down. There was no belt to hold him in.
“He even asked why there wasn't a belt.”
The park’s spokesman added: “Ride operators are trained to strictly adhere to all height requirements for all rides and attractions.”
The accident comes less than a week after a 10-year-old boy was decapitated as he slid down a water slide in Kansas City, USA.
Caleb Schwab was killed while on the Verruckt slide, one of the tallest in the world, at Schlitterbahn Waterpark on 7th August.
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