A key piece of information was left out of this story. The staff tried to keep the Sgt. off the ride, specifically because he didn't meet the "you need both legs" rule. He threw a fit and threatened to sue for discrimination... so the staff backed off and let him on. I lived near Darien Lake and this was massive news for what seemed like ages.

@dannydougin3925

2 жыл бұрын

Sources?

@mikes7651

2 жыл бұрын

Exactly. I live about an hour from the park and I remember that being widely reported when this incident happened. Park staff shouldn't have let him on, but he wasn't completely blameless.

@jhourigan5899

2 жыл бұрын

glad to see a lot of fellow WNY'ers in the comments bringing this up. I'm only now learning that apparently this info has been scrubbed from articles?? but literally every person from the area remembers it this way. Give those kids operating the ride at least a little credit.

@cashnelson2306

2 жыл бұрын

Lol of course he did. Military is full of Karen's

@krashd

2 жыл бұрын

I was going to enquire how his family managed to sue with this information but then I realised this happened in the US and you can sue someone just for sneezing over there.

At one point in time, about 15 years ago, it was determined that I was too fat for one of the coasters at Knott's Berry Farm. Was it embarrassing to be in that situation? Of course it was. That said, thanks to the kids running the ride not being terrified of addressing me over a safety issue, I was not hurled to my death! Since then, I've lost 200lbs, and am coaster-ready.

@donnadanielsen9411

2 жыл бұрын

Congratulations on being coaster ready!!

@TReeseTV

2 жыл бұрын

Congrats!! 😁

@asystole_

2 жыл бұрын

Amazing achievement!

@hdtripp6218

2 жыл бұрын

Great job Weight loss rarely happens when surrounded by people that don't want to hurt your feelings...general!y takes a stranger saying "you're fat" to spur change....it did with me

@berzerkbankie1342

2 жыл бұрын

You definitely showed that coaster you were not to be mocked! Good for you keep up the good work

When I worked for a Cedar Point Amusement Park, during our training we were shown Sergeant Hackemer’s story to remind us to NEVER let a guest on with this kind of disability. We were even trained to deal with threats against the workers if we didn’t allow them on if they weren’t tall enough, didn’t fit the seat, etc. We screwed safety protocols into our 16 year old heads to prevent any accidents. I still think about this story even long after I stopped working for Cedar Fair. This guy survived the war but not a roller coaster 😭

@SilverMe2004

2 жыл бұрын

No it wasn't to prevent any accidents, it was to prevent any law suits that could arise from said accident

@pazza4555

2 жыл бұрын

​@@SilverMe2004 While accidents/incidents are bad for business, that doesn't mean the people running the show don't care about visitor safety. I remember watching an interview with a Cedar Fair exec on one of the newer coasters. He was clearly in the job because he loved the coasters. He even talked through parts of that ride while other people screamed as he'd spent that much time on it. The park has shut down the Top Thrill Dragster for the 2022 season because of injuries to two guests late last season when a bracket fell off. That's a huge loss of revenue, but it's the right thing to do.

@perrymichales4242

2 жыл бұрын

Michigan's adventure veteran here Becky

@timothykaczmarek5871

Жыл бұрын

@@pazza4555 That guy was a complete asshole and sorry to say he got what he deserved.

@Swishersweetcigarilo

Жыл бұрын

Why are almost all of the ride operators teenager's? Don't they travel to the park and live/work there for the summer?

Fascinating Horror should re-upload this with information about how the veteran actually was belligerent and intimidated the workers into letting him ride on threat of a discrimination lawsuit

@criostasis

2 жыл бұрын

Based on what sources should he do that?

@squeedles_1943

2 жыл бұрын

@@criostasis Everyone. His family and the workers who worked on that day

@bobfrank669

2 жыл бұрын

M R every single person familiar with the story knows this

@jhourigan5899

2 жыл бұрын

yeah at the very least he could edit the video description which currently says "not once did ride operators challenge his decision". Valid journalists and documentary makers frequently cite people's reports and their lived experience, not just internet articles. He could just add something about locals remembering it differently.

@RIVALContentJammerz

2 жыл бұрын

@@jhourigan5899 Our host is always very quick to gloss over the patron's responsibility.

7:45 Ride attendants DID challenge him… several times. They also noticed he had no legs and DID take action. They actually did attempt to refuse him a few times, however Mr. Hackemer unfortunately pulled the discrimination card and threatened to sue. I wish he was actually kind and complacent like in the video. I’m upset the family sued too. :(

@headlightfluid1655

2 жыл бұрын

glad I'm not the only one losing my mind here by all the idiotic sympathetic comments 🙄🙄🙄

@retrogamesmadeeasy8058

2 жыл бұрын

From what I remember they signed away their sueing rights originally so they weren't able to sue in the end.

@mikes7651

2 жыл бұрын

Thank you for pointing that out. I guess I can understand how such details can be missed when you're not a local of the area, but this was definitely a case of the guest really being more at fault than the young park employees. I wish the video accurately described that. Usually I don't watch these but I was drawn in to this one since I already knew the story from living in the area.

@timothykaczmarek5871

2 жыл бұрын

@@headlightfluid1655 TOTALLY agree. How can you feel sorry for the guy when he was unquestionably AT FAULT? The ones you need sympathy for is the Ride Hosts and Hostesses on that ride, and for the guys nephew. He brought that on himself.

@krashd

2 жыл бұрын

@@retrogamesmadeeasy8058 That's what settling is so they still got their big payday. The family of a Karen are often no different to the Karen.

Hey, just wanted to say thanks for the good subtitles. I like to watch youtube with a hard of hearing friend, and we really appreciate creators that actually subtitle their vids instead of using the auto generation.

@frognamedjog

2 жыл бұрын

Yes I agree so much! I have an auditory processing disorder and good subtitles always make a video so much more enjoyable

@tibbylibby4911

2 жыл бұрын

Amen!

@lakeriver393

2 жыл бұрын

I disagree... I have noticed that you put this same comment in all the videos. What the hell is wrong? Have you lost original thought? Did you vote for Brandon? C'mon man...

@niceguy6694

2 жыл бұрын

Yes thank you as I am brain dead 👍

@AManWith_NoName

2 жыл бұрын

@@lakeriver393 I know in your head that sounded smart and well thought out but it should've remained in your head, your the reason Republicans have a bad name, going out of your way to be an ass and bringing politics into something completely unrelated lmao.

Was at Six Flags with a good friend a few years back, and she's a pretty heavy set person. When we tried to get on the Batman, the safety bar wouldn't lock when the attendant tried to secure it on her. The guy, who probably wasn't much older than our teenage selves, was clearly awkward and uncomfortable telling her she couldn't ride because of her weight, but after watching this, I'm now eternally grateful that he withstood that undesirable situation and didn't let her on...

@TheTownNarcoleptic

Жыл бұрын

There wasn’t much that my chunky-ass family appreciated more in Orlando than the example seats of each ride being placed outside of the ride entrance. Perfect for seeing if you’d actually fit in it, or if it wouldn’t be great with a disability of some kind.

@LLS710

7 ай бұрын

Oh wow, what a brilliant idea. Every park should do that. On the other hand, when will they start building rides JUST for the chunkies of the world? I'm what they term skinny (I hate that term, by the way - I turned into a health nut and became thin after my obese brother died after multiple strokes at a young age) but there is a big need for something like that, with 2/3rds of Americans being overweight or obese. There's no reason they couldn't build rides that cater only to the majority of adults. @@TheTownNarcoleptic

@lalathebenificent1335

6 ай бұрын

Being embarrassed bc of being fat is better than being

As a veteran of Iraq myself, I am surprised at the Sergeants actions… I looked at the pamphlet for Disabled persons, the Superman ride was clearly not allowed… seems to me the park did their due diligence, the signs were in place and legible, the pamphlets were offered and provided…I dont think the family should have gotten anything, he was obviously being careless and disrespectful. A soldier should know better, we literally have it grilled into us to pay attention to details. And always have the right gear and safety in mind.

@Tuxicat62

Жыл бұрын

Thank you for your service!

@desertmammoth3159

Жыл бұрын

Uh huh so if you've been told to guard an area and not to let anyone through who isn't wearing a gas mask are you going to let someone through without the correct gear because they threaten to report you to your CO for blocking their passage? Or are you going to follow your orders unless otherwise authorised by the appropriate chain of command? Those ride operators had a responsibility to defend that roller coaster from the ineligible and they failed in that charge. That would be why they got sued. Also I'm seeing a lot of people here saying the whole "the guy was an ass" story isn't factually correct nor supported by the official police report so I don't know if you need to go and do some recon over on Google or not.

@MommyKhaos

Жыл бұрын

@@desertmammoth3159 The staff were fucking kids! The grown fucking man went out of his way to ignore safety rules, safety signs, was rude to the ride operators (who, again, were teenagers!) and threatened to sue. So they let him on. He thought himself invincible after surviving a war, and then came face to face with physics and died. His family STILL SUED!

@redeyesdrgn

Жыл бұрын

@@desertmammoth3159 im pretty sure that the family/park employees stated that he had threatened a lawsuit for discrimination if he was not allowed to ride. if you are a teenager being threatened with something like that, you are probably unwilling to tell him no. he was also offered a leaflet for people with disabilities, but refused it iirc, something that would of certainly told him what rides he can and cannot ride. in the end, he shouldn't of had his life taken. this should not of happened at all. ever since this happened, the park has had better restrictions and regulations so it should not happen again. that's all that can be done after the accident.

@whiplashfatigue1430

Жыл бұрын

Am I the only one reading this comment to be horrified that the US military is torturing our boys in uniform by “literally grilling” them? The pain from the burns must have been excruciating, and the grill marks scarring their bodies would be permanent, unpleasant reminders of their service. Oh, wait, is this just another casual misuse of the term “literally”? Never mind.

This is in my back yard and this was huge news. The ride operators definitely tried to refuse him to ride, but he basically threw a huge tantrum and threatened to sue for discrimination. He intimidated the young ride staff into letting him kill himself. A very unfortunate situation, but I've not heard anyone put most of the blame on the staff. They tried to do their job and he still got on the ride. But he was doing what he wanted to do! I hope that staff was assured that they should kick off anyone who was clearly unfit to ride, no matter what they threatened.

@thesisypheanjournal1271

2 жыл бұрын

Again, inadequate training. Possibly inadequate policies and procedures. Training in, "Sir, it is simply not safe for you to ride and if you do not exit on your own we will have to call security." But that's not just something where you need a policy, you need role play where a trainer plays the part of the stubborn park visitor.

@jakeraught4939

2 жыл бұрын

@@thesisypheanjournal1271 you’ve obviously never dealt with a belligerent customer. Especially one who is disabled and a veteran. He threatened to sue the park for discrimination

@elloowu6293

2 жыл бұрын

Darien lake is your back yard!? You must be rich

@Gaaraschickyourejeal

2 жыл бұрын

@@jakeraught4939 it is a really hard thing to deal with! Which is why these workers need to be properly trained and encouraged to tell them to get their veteran asses off a ride that will kill them, and then have management back them up. And they also probably need a raise.

@Gaaraschickyourejeal

2 жыл бұрын

@@elloowu6293 😂 Definitely not. I just live in a place where a 2 hour car ride is nothing and people talk

As a former ride op for Six Flags, I'd have to say back in the 80's-90's you had to recert every season like supervisors as well. The guest "MUST" have enough limb to stay under restraint. NO single riders on certain rides. Head CAN NOT be taller from the top of head rest. I had a fellow that wanted to ride a launch coaster. His head was taller than the headrest. I told him he couldn't ride. He waited for a super to tell his dumb arse his neck would snap during the launch! 0-60 MPH! in 4 seconds. He wouldn't get off until told to. Hot summer in Houston, with line growing longer. GeeeeZZZZ!

@drumpftodd7887

2 жыл бұрын

0-60 in 4 seconds is not fast enough to snap your neck lmao.

@drumpftodd7887

2 жыл бұрын

Where's the headrest on a motorcycle when you do 0-60 in 3.5 seconds?

@TheMagic1412

2 жыл бұрын

I think it is just an extra safety precaution. If a rule like that is in place there is usually a reason behind it. Though I doubt OP knows more than what he was trained and told.

@stephenalex4345

2 жыл бұрын

@@drumpftodd7887 the bottom line is, the guy was told he couldn't ride as his head was above the head rest, yet he still sat in the seat. If you ignore safety protocol, you can potentially get killed. Hope that's clear, you single cell pond life.

@DwayneETowns

2 жыл бұрын

@@stephenalex4345 🤣🤣🤣👍

This is almost entirely the guest’s fault. He was too short for the ride, was rude to staff, and ignored procedures/rules. The staff should have intervened and not let him on but he had blatantly disregarded all rules and even threatened to sue. This is why we listen to the attendants and follow the rules. Worst case scenario, if they refused to let him on, he sues and the suit is thrown out because of the clear rules that have been in place for however long the park existed and he’d be alive today. However, he just had to throw a tantrum about it and force them to let him on. Edit: I also wanna say that (this isn’t an excuse at all but) I get why the staff had been so intimidated and gave in. Yes, they still should have intervened but put yourselves in their shoes, y’all. These kids are fresh outta high school being screamed at and threatened by a double amputee war vet, they were probably scared as hell. My job isn’t even close to as potentially life-threatening but people get in my face, yell, and make threats all the time (yay Hospital work). It’s real easy to get intimidated or scared, especially if you’ve never been put in the situation before. I think it was wrong of them to let him on but I totally understand why they might have given in.

@SilverMe2004

2 жыл бұрын

But if he had listened to all the nay sayers he would still be in a hospital bed needing someone else to wipe his bum (ie not recovered from the 1st injurie)

@mcrfan343

2 жыл бұрын

If I was in their shoes I would've called management to deal with the situation. Never been a ride operator but I work in the service/retail industry and whenever I get confronted with a difficult customer I always get a higher up involved.

@alexandraleian212

Жыл бұрын

@@mcrfan343 Yeah you also probably arent a high school student operating heavy machinery you dont know the physics of and therefore dont fully grasp the safety procedures behind in detail. Dont get me wrong, I feel you. I invoice for large contracts in the hundreds of thousands, and people scream and get loud and disrespectful. And I know to just let my director handle it at that point. But Im also an adult over 21 with prior work experience doing benign things like customer service. Amusement parks hire kids who are working for the first time. With limited training on how to deal with belligerence. They are not safey officers or risk assessment managers. You and I are also privileged to even have managers on hand to call that are actually even semi competent. You really think the same amusement parks hiring kids to operate heavy machinery they dont understand the physics of, is gonna have competent management on hand (if any management) to deal with a situation like this? Most of the time theyre ignored and left to their own devices. The park is at fault for poorly training staff--staff that are basically kids--and this man, his family, and other nosey ass guests in line are at fault for pressuring clearly young, undertrained staff into violating safety procedures while threatening to sue. Using veteran status as an intimidation tactic. This was a horrible outcome for everyone involved. And if that was really you at age 16 dealing with this situation? Big doubt that you'd have done much differently.

@GazRsExtremeBrickMachines

Жыл бұрын

His height had nothing to do with this! You need legs for lap bars to have any use at all! Even if he was technically tall enough the same result would have happened. It blows my mind why he would think he could ride this safely. He would have been ok on any ride with over the shoulder restraints but a lap bar? What was he thinking.

@livelyupmyself1

Жыл бұрын

Just another rude American. At least he’s not around anymore.👋👋👋

You can literally just read on the wikipedia about how hard the ride attendants fought to not allow him to ride. It delayed the ride for ten minutes, with how long he argued that he should be able to board.

@rocc9

Жыл бұрын

Which wikipedia article is that in? Because it's not in "Superman - Ride of Steel".

@alexf9381

9 ай бұрын

​@@rocc9It's been scrubbed from many news articles on this tragedy. For whatever reason.

I lived nearby when this happened. I remember clearly it was reported that the staff did warn him and his family that he can't, but they made a big fuss and threatened to sue for discrimination. That's what was reported when it happened.

@nicholasschroeder3678

2 жыл бұрын

I'm sure that's the case. I can't believe the kids at the ride were that oblivious: they were intimidated into it.

@timhinchcliffe5372

2 жыл бұрын

If that's true, then it sounds like the bully got what he deserved.

@headlightfluid1655

2 жыл бұрын

@@LavaSherbert there are plenty of people who deserve to die. he was just a legless idiot who obviously lost more than his legs while in service..........aka his common sense.

@MezzoForte4

2 жыл бұрын

@@headlightfluid1655 Considering he sold his soul to the US military to kill some foreign kids, he deserved it.

@timhinchcliffe5372

2 жыл бұрын

@@MezzoForte4 now that I don't agree with... however, people sign up, fight and die for your right to say it.

As a New Yorker nearish Darien Lake, I can say that the comments that mention how the staff did warn him is correct. Along with Mr. Hackemer challenging the staff, I remember hearing there was pressure from the guests in line to let him ride as well.

@DancerChic915

2 жыл бұрын

Hearing about it when it happened was pretty scary. Like your local amusement park having an incident like this. Im also in new york. Also been to the park. Heard about it when it happened. Nice to find someone else from the area in the comments

@brandyyolidio4213

2 жыл бұрын

I bet those same guests had the "oh $hit" faces when he was hurled across the park. People need to mind their business, they only helped him closer to his grave.

@6door6four96

2 жыл бұрын

Whatever brandy guy deserved it if you are too stupid to understand that a roller coaster at least most of them holds you above your thighs and that note having most of your legs will make you fly out you deserve it I have been on rides like this and smaller people almost slip out because of the way they hold you so not a good idea to go with no legs lol

@egg4666

2 жыл бұрын

@@6door6four96 whoa hey buddy I’m not defending the person or anything but nobody deserves to die like that man

@isabellind1292

2 жыл бұрын

That bugs me that the person who put this together would leave out such an integral part of the case. I know viewers have to fact check to get the big picture but many don't and what's the big deal that they couldn't tell that part?

I've lived in WNY all of my life. I can assure you that employees told him he was not allowed to ride. There are only two restraint devices on the ride, both going over your thighs. The man had threatened to sue for discrimination if he was not alllowed on. Being young and most definitely nervous the employees gave through and let him on. This story was NEVER aired on national news due to being cleared up about a year after the incident occured. You can go to our local news, WIVB, and look at the story yourself there. I usually don't comment on videos, but those facts need to be cleared up.

My sister was there for this, I used to live in Holland NY and they were having a field trip for her class, she told me that she remembers them telling the guy he couldn’t go on because of his disabilities. And then he died before she could get on next. She told me everybody was in shock and didn’t say anything. That’s all I remember.

So he declined a pamphlet claiming he had one already. He obviously didn't read it then. He declined assistance onto the ride, a point at which an assistant may have challenged him about his height. It may have been clear at that point that the restraining bar wouldn't be suitable. I've known people with disabilities get very angry with people offering help. If these operators were young they may have felt intimidated. I don't see why the blame was put solely on the park. Nobody takes responsibility for their own actions anymore.

@heatherwilliams2565

2 жыл бұрын

Exactly what I said

@curbyourshi1056

2 жыл бұрын

I agree, I suspect the park paid out as more of a PR exercise than admission of full culpability for the accident.

I live near this park and have been on this ride several times myself. This was huge news when this happened and I remember clearly that when reporting about it, it was stated that he threatened to sue the park for discrimination. It's a sad story all around, after this they added a second further restraint and are super strict with how it fits and do not hesitate to ask people to get off.

@phatphuk2761

2 жыл бұрын

So the park would have possibly lost either way. I mean in reality, if they proved in court, he would possibly be injured or killed, then he would lose that lawsuit. Still, paying lawyers for all of that. If this is true, it is sad, but it's his fault, and his family should have lost the lawsuit.

@HitomiMudo

2 жыл бұрын

Yeah, I definitely remember the park staff trying to refuse him entrance to the ride but he bullied his way on.

@cookiekittens

2 жыл бұрын

yeah, as soon as i heard “the staff did nothing to stop him” i was like… i’ve heard a veeeeery different story that paints him in a way worse light. like you said, threatening the kids, pulling the disrespecting a vet card etc. they told him no MULTIPLE times but he refused to listen to the point of belligerence.

@DanaTheInsane

2 жыл бұрын

@@cookiekittens They should have called security and reported a belligerent patron. What was he gonna do? Beat them up? You try that crap at our park, you might as well argue with a block of granite. I tried once. ONCE. It was like hitting a blank wall. (I wanted to ride the ferris wheel by myself)

@Majerly_Annoyed

2 жыл бұрын

@@cookiekittens There were articles online that spoke to him being belligerent and demanding they let him ride but it seems they've been scrubbed. We were discussing this a few years back when we were at the park and a simple Google search brought up articles with witness statements from people in line that corroborated him demanding he ride. Now I can't find an article to save my life! Listen, no one wanted this to happen. No one is happy that it happened. But at some point you have to take ownership of your well-being. He said he had the pamphlet (which says you cannot ride the Ride of Steel unless you have two legs) but he chose to go there first. Should he have been stopped? Absolutely...even if security had to be called. In 2020 a similar situation played out at Six Flags over Georgia where an amputee was denied boarding and guess what? It became huge news...human rights etc. I've ridden the Ride of Steel a few times and I barely felt comfortable with the lap bar and I am 6 feet tall. I can't even imagine anyone, including the rider, feeling comfortable about him going on the ride.

Love Fascinating Horror, but this story was spun the wrong way, leaving me to question future spin on these stories. The vet purposely ignored and lied about knowing safety measures and procedures. It was the vet’s own damn fault. He was too arrogant and pig headed. Some have claimed he was a complete a**hole to staff about riding the coaster. Playing the, ”I can do anything” card when in reality he clearly couldn’t. And his family sued when it was their fault. This video made him look like some heroic victim, when he was wasn’t. Vets can be moronic idiots just like those who did not serve and were at fault in prior videos. You do not need to sugar coat this guy all because he served in the military.

@Maspets

2 жыл бұрын

Why is everyone blaming the creator of this video when there is no report that describes what you're all saying? I don't know what to believe, but without a REAL source I couldn't report that either.

@TheSharkIsWorking_23

2 жыл бұрын

@@Maspets not blaming, addressing. There are reports of this and the facts of the original investigation speak for themselves…James ignored the rules, and completely disregarded/lied about having disciplinary safety knowledge, which is key in the military. In the more recent BBC stunt disaster FH video, the show’s producers ignored key rules of performing the stunt, and they clearly ignored the safety rules. They were no different than James’s actions. They were not addressed as heroes, and James is no different. He could’ve seriously injured someone else in the result of him being thrown, all because of his faults.

@Maspets

2 жыл бұрын

@@TheSharkIsWorking_23 Reports? Where?

@SilverMe2004

2 жыл бұрын

1st the "I can do anything" is what likely got him that far. ie to walk again, etc 2nd I have seen it stated that in the official police reports the staff said that they didn't challenge him. however as it was reported that onlookers sided against the staff, the staff must have done something unlike what was presented in this video.

@johndwolynetz6495

2 жыл бұрын

No he said that they are underexperenced With such a old veteran Not they the staff were witchcrafting scgeners

It's always startling to me how little emphasis people place on personal responsibility.

Believe me or not, I actually worked a few summers at this exact park. Granted my time there was a couple years after this incident (2014-2016) but my first summer there I worked rides and let me tell you, the scars of this incident were everywhere in the way they trained and how quickly they transferred ANY employee that made ANY kind of safety violations during ride procedures there. I myself was transferred to the water park for the remainder of the summer after I made an error securing the door on a seat of the Ferris Wheel (there was no one in that particular cart so no one was in danger but the mere mistake was enough to get me booted). I never personally worked Ride of Steel but I heard from employees that did just how much they were watchdogged to get everything right after this. The sheer stress of the process gave me terrible nightmares and paranoia while working the job so i'm glad that I got into the midway games from then on. They were not messing around with the safety of the park after this. All this being said, I can also speak to the sheer belligerence of Guests at the park when they are even remotely told not to do something in line or God forbid being prevented from riding the ride. While I can only speculate based on rumors and talk from employees that were there when it happened the story I heard was that this man and/or his relatives were pretty actively hostile towards the ride operators and refused any and all interaction with them as alluded to in the video. There was absolutely no ability for the operators to do their job much less want to deal with another irate and impatient Guest. I'm not making excuses for them nor saying that this man's death was anything short of a tragedy, but if what they went through at the time was even a fraction of what I did years later I can understand how this happened especially since there were probably dozens if not hundreds of other Guests in line also giving them a hard time. Just for a personal example, I was once threatened with physical violence from an enormous adult man for preventing him from trying to take his tiny child onto a ride she was less than half the height required to go on. People will go to extraordinary lengths to get what they want and sometimes overworked and stressed employees simply don't have the courage and/or the authority to stop them. Apologies for this comment being really long but seeing this video pop up randomly in my suggested videos brought back some memories XD

@ducatisti

2 жыл бұрын

I'm glad you went into detail. Your insight shows the other side of many of these types of situations. I agree with you, it was a tragedy, but the ones I feel the most sorry for are those ride ops.

@jorgemoro5476

2 жыл бұрын

I agree. People are assholes

@duncandmcgrath6290

2 жыл бұрын

I worked security services at a Canadian amusement park many years ago . It was surprising to see how people’s sensibility would switch off when they entered the park ….especially ones who were used to authority on the outside.

@euansmith3699

2 жыл бұрын

Thanks for your input. It is good to hear that the park took safety very seriously while you were there.

@onesquirrel2713

2 жыл бұрын

Thank you for confirming my suspicions that it was probably mostly his own fault. Especially after not properly reading safety instructions.

Things to avoid after watching this channel: -Amusement Parks -Ships -Planes -Clubs -Shoppingmalls -The ice cream parlor

@hencohendriksen6908

2 жыл бұрын

Don't forget about trains.

@kyliepechler

2 жыл бұрын

And Theatres, Trains and Bridges as well.

@hey_bucklebob

2 жыл бұрын

Wearing hats

@andyrob3259

2 жыл бұрын

And becoming President and saying to your wife ‘I’m a bit bored honey, how about diner and a night at the theatre’

@ZJS0113

2 жыл бұрын

"The ice-cream parlor" 🤣😂🤣

The fact that the rules say "you must have two legs" and him literally not having any legs is hilarious in a very messed up way.

@KyleEvra

Жыл бұрын

😂

@xavierpoirier7471

4 ай бұрын

No funny at all. 😢

I am a Buffalo, NY native I was 13 years old and at the park on the date of this incident. I saw this man in line for the ride, as I was getting on and off….. I remember being so disturbed that I saw him in line after I learned what happened later that day. Seeing this video just made me remember this forgotten memory. Thank you for covering something near my home town!

I've worked this ride, and worked with the employees who were working it that day. The lap bar was working properly and locked into place; he downplayed his condition and was very rude to the operators. The ride operators WERE aware of the rules, and fought him about it. Obviously the ride should have never left the station to begin with, but he was told. And got into the seat anyway. We are not allowed to help guests into their seat, so it was one of his own family members that put him in there.

@swallowedinthesea11

2 жыл бұрын

I suppose you weren't allowed to help him because of policy issues? Like if you were to help and he would fall, then he could sue you and the park? I ask because something similar happened to me when I was a teen and disabled which I found confusing.

@Vicky-fi3yr

2 жыл бұрын

@@swallowedinthesea11 that’s right, I worked for cedar fair and we were told not to help anyone one because we aren’t trained for that kind of stuff

@wheels00000

2 жыл бұрын

As someone that worked the mirror image of the ride the operators were fine until they hit dispatch enable. If he's locked in the train it's a perfect place to wait for the area supervisor and security.

@Blast2224

2 жыл бұрын

@@swallowedinthesea11 it’s actually a pretty common liability. When I briefly was at Dorney it was partially because we weren’t trained for it (various conditions, proper weight sharing, etc) and because of the possibility of the guest feeling harassed if helped wrong. Taking cues from Disney incidents of course.

@swallowedinthesea11

2 жыл бұрын

@@Vicky-fi3yr Hi Bicky! I wasn't notified of your reply until now, but thank you for the explanation!

I feel sorry for the nephew who had to saw his uncle sitting next to him being ejected from the ride, that is life time trauma.

@EmberMoonprincess92

2 жыл бұрын

Not to mention he’s the one who helped secure him. The poor boy

@erinmarieee23

2 жыл бұрын

Yeah, I think his loved ones and the other people who had to witness the man plummet to his death are the real victims in this situation. I hope the nephew is doing okay.

@bobbucketgeneva5920

2 жыл бұрын

this was my first thought as well, and his kids were in the park somewhere waiting for him. what a mess

@domestikgoddez9823

2 жыл бұрын

...kinda sorta. the nephew put him in the ride. duh - having a lower body is kind of a requirement to live through a ride like that. it doesn't take rocket science to figure that one out.

@dannydougin3925

2 жыл бұрын

*see his uncle

When I worked on a ride in Disney world, it wasn’t uncommon where we would have to redirect guests to another attraction because of their disabilities could potentially cause harm to them if they rode our ride. Once I had to height check a little person to make sure she was tall enough to ride. I felt so bad for asking but we had to be sure she would be able to ride safely.

@BillionairesArentYourFriends

Жыл бұрын

I'm 4'9 and some of my short statured family members are much smaller, trust me, we don't mind! It's nice people care of course. Height isn't anything to be self conscious about- at least we believe so in my family. We don't mind if people ask more about having Dwarfism (short statured if preferred, I'm fine with saying the condition) as long as it's respectfully and out of curiosity. We definitely do things differently after all so it's completely understandable. People are always suprised at how low our counters are! The house has many adjustments made. My favorite is our oven, it looks miniaturized because the entire floor itself is raised in the kitchen. Super cute if you ask me. Now I'm just rambling... My motto: You can't change your height, so if you don't fit, ya just don't fit!

I went to this park as a kid and wanted to go on the ride of steel, but I was too small. My parents vehemently told me height and size restrictions are there for a reason. Crazy to think it happened on the exact ride they said that about.

The victim’s family said “he died doing what he wanted to do,” if they really felt that way, why did they sue the park? He chose to put himself in harms way, but others had to pay for that.

@stevepacheco1309

2 жыл бұрын

cause the attorney with all those dollar signs in his eyes probably talked them into it

@Mari-eo3yi

2 жыл бұрын

Because while he did something he liked he still died

@planescaped

2 жыл бұрын

Free money is free money no matter where it comes from.

@majesticrose1434

2 жыл бұрын

Karen's breed with male Karen's

@thatrustyone1943

2 жыл бұрын

Because in the United States it's almost tradition to scrape every last dollar you can from an unfortunate event, even it's your own fault, especially when you are in a social position where people praise you for some reason. The dude being a veteran and handicapped because of it would already be reason enough for a jury to agree with the park paying "damages". Such things would only happen in the USA, because of backwards thinking and sentiment in the courthouse.

Apparently it’s pretty well known that staff definitely told him he could not ride and he threatened to sue. I don’t understand why this video explicitly says he was not warned. Like it would be horrific either way, but this way there’s some undeserved blame on the staff. Obviously they should have refused him to board the ride regardless of his threats.

@Baka-kun

2 жыл бұрын

I heard this information was scrubbed from high end new articles discussing the situation. I'm guessing Fascinating Horror had to make sure to find a credible source to link to be able to put that information in but didn't find it in time or found the source. So he didn't want to throw accusations around in case it was false. Just my thought on it

@potocatepetl

2 жыл бұрын

Pretty well known from where? In the police report none of the 3 young ride attendants mentioned they confronted him. They mentioned they noticed him when boarding, but nothing about speaking with him. So where exactly is this information you have?

@Baka-kun

2 жыл бұрын

@@potocatepetl there's a lot of anecdotical reports of people mentioning staff was aware of why he couldn't ride and even confronted him about it. Him threatening to sue if they didn't let him ride and pressure from him (in some stories they say some bystanders also cheered for him to be able to ride since he pulled the vet card). You can even find some in this comment section and there's other people who covered this topic having those stories as well.

@potocatepetl

2 жыл бұрын

@@Baka-kun I saw some comments, but all you say (and the other commets say) was never proven. Also, all the comments have the same idea, but no proof. If the police report does not include such statements and the statements of the attendands do not include this information I do not see how it could be true. What interest would the attendands have not to tell that they tried to stop him and he refused? Acnetodes are fun, but not relevant.

@Tacnicall

2 жыл бұрын

@@potocatepetl I mean when its 20 locals telling the same story I just kinda believe them they get nothing out of making up a lie like that. They might have left those statements out of a police report because they weren't known at the time or they dont want to make a vet look bad.

I’m from Buffalo and rode this coaster many many times, and if you have, then you KNOW you needed legs to securely ride as the force literally would lift you out of your seat. The bar / guard pressed down tightly on you upper thighs, so yeah you needed to have legs 🤷🏾‍♀️

@maple_vanilla

Жыл бұрын

Yeah esp if youre in the back of the coaster that first drop will drag your ass down so fast lol

@BumbletheBea

Жыл бұрын

I’ll never understand why this coaster only has a lap bar/seatbelt

@rexblade504

Жыл бұрын

​@@BumbletheBea because it doesn't go upside down is my guess

He's absolutely partially responsible! There is no way he could have possibly looked at a ride with a lap bar and not thought there was a risk. He chose to attempt to ride anyway. He put himself in a position where someone else's questionable decision making lead to his death. A drop of common sense on his part would have prevented this.

Why is it always somebody else's fault? The Sgt refused to read or acknowledge the safety warning for the handicapped. Nobody takes responsibilities for their own doing anymore.

@heatherwilliams2565

2 жыл бұрын

Exactlt

@heatherwilliams2565

2 жыл бұрын

Exactly ***

@karinababy6557

2 жыл бұрын

They don’t want to be labeled as prejudice these are strange times

@potocatepetl

2 жыл бұрын

Yes, that was definitely his fault and maybe his family's fault as well (not sure if he was psychological or neurological fit). Not reading and acknowledging the rules. But so were the park attendees. If they weren't relevant or needed, then they wouldn't be employed. There were 3 of them, no one challenged him (I know some people like to think he was challenged, but the police report and the statements of the 3 young men show something else). That should not have happened. Considering they settled at 2,85 million, I assume it was considered a shared fault.

@RichardGarcia93

2 жыл бұрын

@@heatherwilliams2565 You could have just edited the first comment. 😮

Such a shame - a true accident. When I was about 7-8 yrs. old, my parents & I were at an amusement park, which had a roller coaster I wanted to ride very much. I was too small to ride, but the operator told my parents that if 1 of them ride with me, I could ride. My mom was terrified to ride, so my dad, who'd been drinking a bit, said he'd ride with me. Well, when we created the big drop, I literally came up out of the car. My dad snatched me back in, & sat on me until the ride was over. When we got off, my mom told dad he was white as a sheet, & he told her, "I was drunk when I got on, but I'm sober as a judge now!". I was VERY lucky.

@TheMusicalFruit

2 жыл бұрын

Did you die?!

@Dany1239

2 жыл бұрын

@@TheMusicalFruit I'm pretty sure the afterlife doesn't have internet access yet.

@crazyphan18

2 жыл бұрын

@@Dany1239 that’s a bold assumption.

@equarg

2 жыл бұрын

Welp, Dad did his job, even though he had been drinking. Good for him. I don’t care for drunks (work at a gas station), but sounds like he really loves you, and alcohol does not inhibit that. Your lucky he’s your dad🥲

@Dany1239

2 жыл бұрын

@@equarg You're* Good day, sir.

Ironically... I know the guest who was injured (he was given a huge pile of money), and I was also there the day James had passed away. Walking towards the Ride of Steel we were immediately stopped by a group of staff telling everyone to move back and turn around. My friend looked at my and said 'Jeez, they act like someone died or something.'

We covered this story back then on CF, and you've missed the part where the guy was determined to ride and basically put himself in the seat. It changes the feel a lot the way youve reported it in this video. Otherwise, good job,

I think the family needs to be held accountable, too. How they looked at that coaster and thought; "hey, you're missing the main thing holding you in place on this high- speed, g-force ride, so, yeah, let's totally try our luck, lol!" is genuinely beyond my understanding.

@hunterdavis3003

2 жыл бұрын

Thank you

@TheMusicalFruit

2 жыл бұрын

The guy had the arm strength to hold himself in (he made it over the first few drops and turns), but a momentary lapse of reason was all it took for him to be flung out. Pride can be a dangerous thing.

@ItsJustLisa

2 жыл бұрын

It sounded like they, especially he, never bothered to carefully go through the safety restrictions. “NO LEGS, NO RIDE” should have been a big red flag. It needed to be front and center in the pamphlet and the guest needed to be responsible for reading it carefully. Also, the guest services person should have verbally gone through rides with restrictions as a matter of course. Don’t just say “Here’s the pamphlet of information”; go through it with every guest requesting information. Highlight the ones that address their specific needs, and I mean specific. “In a wheelchair” could mean something like MS, amputations, bad heart, paraplegia or other disabilities, temporary or permanent. A guest in a boot or arm cast for an injury would need to know different restrictions. That way the park would cover their asses.

@mkocel

2 жыл бұрын

to be fair, historically, soldiers' brains aint their forte.

@teentitans0789

2 жыл бұрын

@@TheMusicalFruit That’s impossible actually you can’t hold yourself in a roller coaster traveling that fast.

Honestly according to people who were there when it happened, he was being stubborn. Yes, we can blame the workers for not being stern enough to maybe call security or explain. However, his death is also his responsibility. Suddenly living with disability can distress someone and make them wanna live "normal", that's understandable..but to simply being ignorant about safety and wanting to be treated like everyone else in this matter is plain stupidity. It's just very unfair to put all the blame on the teenager workers when a middle aged vet man also kept pushing and demanding to be let on the ride.

@preztrump4310

2 жыл бұрын

Agree my guy

@isabellind1292

2 жыл бұрын

@@preztrump4310 AWW! I agree my guy! I💓PRESIDENT TRUMP. lgb

I go to Darien lake every other year or so and let me tell you that the ride of steal has a horizontal seatbelt at your waist and another horizontal bar at the waist too, your legs are the main thing keeping you in it, the fact he was allowed to ride without legs is insane to me

@rexblade504

Жыл бұрын

Apparently he was very combative and threatened to sue if he wasn't allowed to ride and if you're a teen you will get scared by the threat and back off most the time. You're there to make a quick buck, you don't want any trouble

@samonelly4813

Жыл бұрын

exactly! insane

I remember the horror of riding roller coaster with my grandma when some rides didn't have height restrictions and the restraint was a single lap bar for the 2 person car. She was very heavy leaving a solid foot between me and the bar. I had to hold on for dear life. Maybe that's why I still have dreams about riding a coaster with no restraints.

@aljones75

Жыл бұрын

Oh my god that’s terrifying, that must have been so traumatic.

@PsiChaos2701

Жыл бұрын

This happened to me one time on a log flume ride. The ride lap restraints only went down to my mother's waist and not mine, and as someone who was a bit of a socially awkward kid at the time, I didn't speak up, but just held the dang bar for dear life as I felt myself slipping out during the plunge. Nowadays, I know the importance of speaking up when something is obviously very wrong rather than keeping my mouth shut and getting myself in a bad situation, but kids don't typically have the awareness to know that something isn't right. Thankfully, I was already afraid of thrill rides to begin with and was pressured to go on it, so naturally my instinct was to hold onto the bar and really all this situation did was reinforce that fear in me rather than get me over it like my mother had intended it to, but not all kids have that fear.

The fact that the family sued the park was the real fascinating horror here.

@willissudweeks1050

11 ай бұрын

Not really because the employees should have just given him a blatant no, refused to start the ride, and called security if he refused to leave. They can’t just fold like that. Ultimately it’s still his fault for getting on but that should have never been allowed to happen.

@LLS710

7 ай бұрын

well that's because all of America is a horror park ride. my brother was sued for just over $1,000,000 successfully by a minority female who claimed discrimination in his business dealings with her. Get this: she came to him BECAUSE she believed she was being discriminated against by another business (which she also sued successfully). don't move to CA, NY, or CONN unless you're okay with frivolous lawsuits and rich-by-sue neighbors.

@polaris911

4 ай бұрын

especially since the sign couldn't have been more clear

@MrTonaluv

3 ай бұрын

They settled out of court? Must have been a good amount of money - into the millions?

This is just so sad. As a former ride operator, I can understand that when you're processing tons of guests, it can get stressful and require multitasking. But I feel like the training I received was very thorough and that there's no way I'd have let a double amputee ride our rides where ejection might be a concern. (Then again, that was at a Disney park, and they tend to have more intensive training in general.)

@dawnraynor8794

2 жыл бұрын

That is why I have gotten to a point where I will only do Disney - I know that safety is the number one priority even if very expensive.

@berryberrykixx

2 жыл бұрын

Absolutely spot on for anything owned by Cedar Fair.

@ianmichalski7997

2 жыл бұрын

@@dawnraynor8794 Disney does have some skeletons of it's own.

@dawnraynor8794

2 жыл бұрын

@@ianmichalski7997 I have heard that and I guess it is to be expected with most theme parks.

@vraimothra

2 жыл бұрын

im not disagreeing, but i think the age of the operators is very important- the OLDEST was 21, which is a year younger than i am now. im biased bc im a local and a lot of kids i went to hs with worked at Darien Lake (though no one i knew was a coaster operator) but i still feel like even at my age now id be hesitant/ uncomfortable confronting a man who was a veteran/amputee to tell him he *couldnt* do something in front of his family. im not saying that that discomfort shouldve been enough to stop them, but i think like many of these incidents its just the horrible culmination of a lot of not-good or not safe things that were going on

as a ride op i’ve had to deal with many guests like this and its incredibly concerning the lengths people will go to when they are in denial. im glad when there was unruly guests who were adamant their child should ride when the kid was clearly not meeting the coaster requirements, my supervisors were quick to step in and remove them from the platform.

“He died doing what he loved/feeling normal” Uhhh, yeah until the overwhelming terror of impending death hit him.

I appreciate the sympathy for the young park staff. I’m sure this event haunts them, if it were me I’d always regret I didn’t say something in time.

@scrat9870

2 жыл бұрын

It's a tough situation they were in. Nobody wants to have to be the person telling the guy in a wheelchair he can't do something, and unfortunately, they probably thought "Maybe it's breaking protocol, but he should be fine, right?". While this was an entirely preventable tragedy, I see no direct positive change coming from villainizing those people, if they're anything more than terrible people I'm sure the guilt has been enough for them.

@UncoordinatedPixie

2 жыл бұрын

Multiple news reports also said he threatened to sue for discrimination if he wasn’t allowed on the ride so the operators consented.

@TheZackofSpades

2 жыл бұрын

@@UncoordinatedPixie if that’s the case (and I’m not saying it is or not) then it’s a damn shame the park awarded his family a red cent. I don’t think he deserved to die, but I don’t think bullying your way into catastrophe should get a cushy financial award. Sometimes the legal system just fucks over a business, you hate to see it.

@amypeggs9606

2 жыл бұрын

And the nephew, that poor kid. He was the one who helped him get seated, that must haunt him every day.

@MADMAX-vd8pr

2 жыл бұрын

@@MrZoolook " dO yOu HaVE A sOurCe? " why can't you look it up if you don't believe it and stop being lazy

Glad to see other WNY locals filling in some of the gaps. I don't feel bad for this dude, like at all, but I feel bad for the teenage ride opperators that likely got traumatized from this. It's not their fault.

@the4tierbridge

2 жыл бұрын

*is completely their fault

@kono8172

2 жыл бұрын

@@the4tierbridge You're a clown. Guy was arguing with them and threatening them with a discrimination lawsuit. Not only that but you had his family AND other people in the line fighting with them and telling the employees to just let him on. He made his bed.

@the4tierbridge

2 жыл бұрын

@@kono8172 and not calling security was never considered because? Saying someone should die because they were rude to sube dumb kids once is kinda, extreme.

@CartoDarko

Жыл бұрын

@@the4tierbridge Noone said he "should've" died. The guy, his family and other people in line were being horrible to the ride operator, when you're a fairly young person being shouted at by a whole family plus random people rooting for them, threatening to sue for discrimination, that shit is fucking scary. I agree that if someone said he deserved to die that's fucked up, but if you're gonna get mad for not following rules, you have to expect consequence yknow, especially on potentially fatal stuff like rollercoasters

@Dennis74_

Жыл бұрын

@@the4tierbridge bro deserved it, natural selection

Yikes! I'm in no danger of getting on a coaster voluntarily in the foreseeable future, but that's a good thing, because I'm also a double amputee.

"Dumbass died, please revisit your training" Joke aside apparently the dude got angry about not being able to ride and threatened to sue for discrimination. That's why he was allowed on, that's why he flew off of the rails and onto the asphalt where he met his final fate. Well, he certainly got the thrills he paid for. All it cost was a big post-mortem settlement. Hope it was worth it!

@laurenharris9832

Жыл бұрын

I know he felt goofy as hell flying in the air. Like damn, they told me

He threatened to sue when the attendants did stop him. So they let him get on... That's kind of an important part here that is left off.

@jackrabbit6515

Жыл бұрын

They should have called a supervisor in to deal with the jerk. That's the part I don't get. "Sir, you can't ride this coaster, you unfortunately do not meet the physical requirements". "Oh, OK, you will sue us for discrimination if we don't allow it? Enjoy the ride". Stupid. Escalate to the supervisor. Or was there a supervisor there too?

@somewhereinspace2166

Жыл бұрын

@@jackrabbit6515 I heard he was not just threatening to sue but being overall belligerent to the kids working the ride. I'm not surprised they backed down with an angry old war vet yelling at them. I will always think the blame solely lies on him. He forced it knowing the dangers. This is also why it makes me nervous that such dangerous rides are run by impressionable teens, though.

@citizensnips3850

Жыл бұрын

@@jackrabbit6515 Because when you're a 17 year old kid getting screamed at by a legless vet AND his nephew AND the crowd behind you there is a possibility you give in. Should they of? No, but they were literally children, perhaps we should place some blame on the grown-ass adult screaming at children to let his legless ass on a ride that wasn't in the "Disable rider's safe" brochure. At some point people need to take responsibility for their own actions.

@charlesnoble7470

Жыл бұрын

Proximity position sensors do not cost that much. If the person is the wrong size, the light is red; you don't get on. The light is green you can go.

You always tell these stories with so much compassion while remaining unbiased and objective. It’s difficult to say who was in the wrong. He probably thought that the height restrictions were for children and figured his torso was of a grown adult man and the ride harnesses would have taken care of him. Then assumed staff would stop him if it were unsafe. I know I would have struggled to tell someone no at that age as well. They probably still lived with Mum and Dad and still think that adults always know what’s best. It also difficult to dictate to a differently abled bodied person what they can and cannot do.

@lumindoesvideos

2 жыл бұрын

The only reason the you need to have legs rule existed on Ride of Steel is because of it's restraint system. Lap bars with a seat belt. It kinda needs legs to function properly. But I can definitely see why he'd think the height restrictions were just for kids, if a kid is too small for a ride, they can slip out of the restraints. He looks like he wasn't too small for the ride at all, it's just his disability made it unsafe for him to ride because the restraints couldn't hold on to him the way they were designed to.

@thepanpiper7715

2 жыл бұрын

I think a better way to look at it is to ask "who is responsible?" He has a responsibility for his actions, but the rider operators are also responsible for the safety their passengers - that's literally part of their job and even if you subscribe to the "play stupid games, win stupid prizes" view as some in the comments are, by allowing him to ride they also compromised the safety of all their other passengers and, possibly, other guests in the park. I'm not unsympathetic to them - as you say, they were very young, this likely the first job for some of them and I'm sure this incident weighed on them. And this is where we need to look at the park's owners and management, who are responsible for the training of their staff (and again, the health and safety of their customers) and state of the workplace environment. While the gentlemen is unquestionably to blame for his reckless decision, the park's poor management failed to prevent this accident. (I also wonder if when he went to customer information, had the person who offered him a leaflet had instead gone through the relevant information with him, taken the time to explain which rides wouldn't be suitable for him (and advise whether or not wearing his prosthetics would make a difference) whether this would still have happened.)

@ricocheteraw90sthebestdecade

2 жыл бұрын

Well when it comes to life or death it wouldn't be a struggle for me im asking questions then calling my boss, sometimes in life or death situations we have to do whatever it takes to keep someone safe disabled or not. We might need 5 to 10 year old children to operate the ride because kids that age are brutally honest and would be like..." hey sir your silly if you think you can ride the ride with no legs giggle, giggle " and probably would of saved the man's life

@ClockworkChainsaw

2 жыл бұрын

@@thepanpiper7715 It is the park managements responsibility to make sure the staff's training is reinforced. When not a single one of them step up, the problem is higher up.

@ItsJustLisa

2 жыл бұрын

@@thepanpiper7715, I agree. The concierge or guest services rep should have gone through the pertinent information with him, especially if he or she could see that he was an amputee. It should be SOP to go through the information with the guests, not just say “Here’s a pamphlet.” If they bitch, you say “I’m required to go through this with you and tell you what’s here. It’s for your safety.” Yes, it’s time consuming and requires personnel, but the park needs to cover their asses. Rides with restrictions like “requires legs” should have a specific employee position responsible for walking the cars and checking all passengers before the ride starts. If that person was stationed where handicapped guests would be entering from the exit side, he could have been caught before he ever got himself on the ride. Require that handicapped guests be checked and assisted no matter what to insure that they will, in fact, be safe on the ride. Perhaps Mr. Hameker would have been found out before the ride started. Better to be embarrassed from being told “No” than be thrown to your death.

As a disabled person and reading the comments covering the way this man actually behaved, it is not discrimination if it is a rule to keep you from dying or being seriously harmed. His behavior screams of someone who does not understand that disability does, in fact, mean there are things you /cannot do/. The narrative of "disabled people can do anything", while well intentioned, is not true and lets people in denial of their disability put themselves in extremely dangerous situations to prove a point. Disabled people can do anything in terms of living fulfilling lives, not defy the laws of physics and riding a rollercoaster /clearly/ identified as unsafe for you. I do feel bad that someone lost their life, but if he harassed workers who were basically children into letting him on despite their better judgement, then he is the dumbass who ignored the warning label.

I lean towards the veteran being at significant fault in this case. I find i most reasonable that the veteran knew and understood that while it was _on paper_ or "officially" unsafe, in practical terms he would be safe and in no danger while on the ride. I'm going to look into this incident in search of greater detail since the content style of FH is on the lighter side. But I do find it significant that in this short video alone there are two separate instances of the veteran declining help/assistance/advice from ride attendants on-site. It's fair to believe this would have contributed to increasing any psychological unsteadiness ride staff were attempting to navigate. To find yourself in a situation like this, caught completely off-guard, where you're suddenly in a position where you've got to put on this authoritarian demeanor for the purpose of having to to tell a grown, double amputee to kick rocks.

I was in High School when this event took place, and live about 45 minutes from the park. I can remember everyone being confused as to why a man with no legs was allowed to board the ride. We were all familiar with the restraint system, which entirely secures one's legs, but nothing else. There's a lap belt, shin braces, and a lap bar. Three points of contact, all on the lower extremities. Very unfortunate event, and I'm pretty sure everyone who lives in the area remembers when it happened.

@laurenainslee

2 жыл бұрын

@ghost mall the restraint system is purposely done so you get that floating feeling over the hills. Like was said previously, there’s only a seatbelt, a bar across your shins, and a bar across your thighs. Even the back of the seat doesn’t come up very high. Frankly, it’s a little terrifying, but it adds to the trill, and it is verrrry secure. Provided you actually have legs of course.

@spunkyb5249

2 жыл бұрын

@ghost mall lots of modern coasters at Six Flags, Cedar Fair parks, etc. only have lap bars or thigh restraints. It was on him to ride one of these coasters, and not one with shoulder restraints. Some people are just pig headed. Darwin takes care of them.

@ducatisti

2 жыл бұрын

@ghost mall Over the shoulder restraints are the bane of coaster lovers. They have not proven to be safer than restraint systems which utilize the lower body only, and can actually cause minor injuries if the ride isn't perfectly smooth (which, after a few years, most coasters are not). This man not only was missing legs, he didn't have an intact trunk, so standard over the shoulder restraints would not have guaranteed his safety either. I can completely understand his frustration, with so many roadblocks already in his way, it would be tough to take a day at a theme park and instead of joining in the fun he would have been forced to sit by the sidelines and watch others ride all the big coasters. The result was a tragedy for everyone involved, no matter who was actually to blame (although I lean towards placing most of the blame on the deceased since he seemed to be actively working towards riding a coaster that any logical person would have passed on, especially once they entered the ride car and realized that the leg restraints literally had nothing to restrain).

Yeah I'm not sure I'd be blaming staff. If you're getting on a ride that holds you in by your legs, it's probably better to have some legs.

@andyrob3259

2 жыл бұрын

Again I’m evil - I did laugh at your comment. I know I shouldn’t but I do have a dark sense of humor.

@jonbridge6442

2 жыл бұрын

💯

@marvindebot3264

2 жыл бұрын

Let alone 2 hips . . .

@5amH45lam

2 жыл бұрын

Amen

@5amH45lam

2 жыл бұрын

@@andyrob3259 cos it was funny. You're not evil. You've just got a sense of humor.

I live near here. I remember feeling bad for the kid running the ride because he originally refused to let the man on the ride, but he became argumentative. He was a veteran and threatened to sue the park unless he was let on... in a way, it was his own fault.

Just over this spring break a 14-year-old boy here in Florida fell from a slingshot ride in one of the amusement parks and he died on impact. There’s a video that shows him being launched out of the ride and you can literally hear the thump he made when he fell. I’m hoping his story will be on here. In my opinion I kind of blame the workers because not only did they tell him he couldn’t go onto other rides because he was overweight But they let him go on that one knowing he was overweight and that poor boy knew that he was at secured inside of his seat so the sad part is he knew he was going to die. It’s all over the news and it’s pretty interesting so if you’re interested you could look it up

I remember this being on the news. As others have said, it was reported that he WAS confronted and told it wasn't safe, but that he insisted, and they backed down because yeah, they were young. Rumors went around like wildfire that he had claimed he would sue the park for disability discrimination, but I don't remember any news outlets saying that. One other thing I remember is that for the rest of the year, they took down their TV ads, at least out where I was. Some said it was out of respect, and others said it was to save money for the ongoing lawsuit.

@potocatepetl

2 жыл бұрын

The three young men that worked the ride did not mention anything in their police report about confronting him. They mentioned they noticed him and noticed he had no legs, but mention nothing about any type of discussion or confrontation. So who exactly reported that they did? The park at that time did not make any statements either as the trial was still on. So?

So, picking this up from reading other comments, imagine you’re working on a ride as a young teen, and this disabled vet doesn’t meet the requirements for the ride, unfortunately. Would you have the confidence to try and stop him despite the risk of possibly pissing him AND other people off? I probably wouldn’t. Really feel for the staff on this one.

@mrasmussen90

2 жыл бұрын

I maybe personally wouldn’t but I’d immediately call a supervisor over. I definitely understand how it could be quite intimidating for a kid or young adult. As much as I think I would be intimidated by him I think I’d be more afraid to make the final decision on wether or not he rides so I’d definitely call a supervisor or superior. I don’t know what the staffing is like at Darien Lake so I guess I can’t say 100% that this is feasible but it should be.

@HardFreckles

2 жыл бұрын

Nope. I respect people in the military, but just the same as you and me. A lot of them are assholes because they feel like they’re entitled to whatever they want because of their service. They can be HORRIBLE. Now I would have stood up, but I am an extremely sensitive person and as a 16 year old, I know that I would have let him make me feel bad and scared and let him on. 🤷‍♀️ right or wrong is debatable but that’s what would happen over and over again in this scenario with most teenagers.

@karinababy6557

2 жыл бұрын

Right and they don’t wanna be labeled as prejudice it’s hard now a days

@potocatepetl

2 жыл бұрын

I think none of them were teens, but they were still young and 2 of them not Americans (that makes the whole situation even more difficult). But I would personally not start the ride before asking someone to come and give the green light. He was not tall enough (although apparently that was missed as no one measured him) and he didn't have two legs. There were two strikes... I'd try to reason with him and if he didn't understand, I would just wait for a superior to come.

@jackrabbit6515

Жыл бұрын

Right. So then announce to the waiting crowd that the ride is being stopped to deal with an issue, apologize for the delay and call in a supervisor to deal with him.

I’ve ridden this coaster many times from the first year it was built. I once saw the operators refuse to let someone ride because they were too fat. The man was very angry. (I can’t remember if that was before or after this incident occurred.) I can tell you, even in the front seat, you get a lot of air time on this coaster. I’d never attempt it if I had no legs like him.

i'm 4'11" at ~120lbs and one of my biggest fears is being too small for a coaster. Half the time I don't feel secure in the harnesses at all and it really sucks bc i cant make my torso longer or something so there's no way to fix the issue. can't even enjoy the ride most the time because I'm holding on for dear life.

How nice of the world to blame the staff; can't speak ill of a dead veteran...seriously, if the ride keeps you safe with a lap bar, and you don't have a lap...it was totally on Mr. Hackemer to have the slightest bit of common sense, and not put ride operators in the position of having to remind him of such basic stuff. No one wants to say no to a guy in a wheelchair, so sometimes, guys in wheelchairs have to think about that.

@vitaAutLetum

2 жыл бұрын

Absolutely agree. Unacceptable to blame the park for his stupidity. He was responsible for his own safety as he should have understood his own limitations as an amputee.

@AlexanderJoneshttps

2 жыл бұрын

It was his fault

@essaboselin5252

2 жыл бұрын

Totally. He was offered information and refused to take it. He ignored park rules. He got on the ride knowing he shouldn't do it. As horrible as this was to his family, it was his fault.

@PlaneBoy2520

2 жыл бұрын

Ima go out on a limb here and say that just about all involved lacked common sense from the staff to Mr. Hackemer, to his own family. What happened was tragic, but Jesus this was so preventable it hurts my head.

@mkocel

2 жыл бұрын

The MINUTE he sat in that car he HAD to have realized it was not going to hold him in. This guy... smh. Should have jumped right back out of the car. Just because you've served the military industrial complex doesn't make you RIGHT. OR above the rules. Well, the rules of physics don't bend.

It sounds to me like bringing a hat on a rollercoaster is a spectacularly bad idea. Dying in an attempt to retrieve a lost hat is a surprisingly common theme in ride accident reports. Maybe this guy could even have survived the ride if he had held on with both hands at all times, instead of reaching for his hat. Then again, if one's safety on the ride depends on hanging on with both hands, the situation is not remotely safe at all.

@onijester56

2 жыл бұрын

There's a yes-and-no. A lot of people, especially those friends and family of mine who have been on the Ride of Steel (it's literally a 3 hour drive from my apartment) claim to not hold on. I, personally, hold on even for like 75% of Darien Lake's "Predator" and would thus never willingly go onto the "Ride of Steel". But, if my brothers and dad and aunt and high-school classmates and college classmates and cousins could go through with moments where they weren't holding on, I would posit there was a deeper issue at play than just "the ride depends on hanging on with both hands". I think the bigger issue is that he lacked feet and thus wasn't properly restrained by the restraint systems.

@dawnstorm9768

2 жыл бұрын

It is. I always take mine off and secure it in some way on my person, such as a carabiner clipped on my small purse.

@jakual339

2 жыл бұрын

@@onijester56 The deeper issues is definitely the lack of lower limbs, given that the primary restraint system was the leg bar. I think the point the previous commenter is trying to make, however, is that, while him being on the ride at all was incredibly dangerous, if he held on with both hands, it's possible that would have been enough to prevent the fatal accident (despite the lack of lower limb restraint). Not sure whether this is true, though, given the forces involved in the ride.

@M85619

2 жыл бұрын

Should have never boarded ....

@catmaxwell6691

2 жыл бұрын

@ Erland - I love that your initial takeaway was ‘don’t wear a hat’.

I’ve been on this ride and I’m not surprised that this happened after this ride uses lap bars instead of the shoulder ones like most coasters. And I understand he probably wanted to have “fun” but it’s never worth risking your life for. And In a way it sounds like he didn’t care about the idea of risking his life if he had to Manipulate the staff to let him on.

@monke6912

2 жыл бұрын

he died like he lived whit no care in the world

@pazza4555

2 жыл бұрын

You can't use a lap restraint if you have no lap. And he could have killed someone on the ground.

@sabretooth1997

Жыл бұрын

Very few (if any?) non-inverting coasters use shoulder restraints.

Reading all the comments here about how this guy acted makes me appreciate how many times this kind of thing has probably been avoided, either by good training or counter-belligerence by the staff. These were teenagers running this thing, I can't blame them for being intimidated and letting the guy ride, and at the same time I can't imagine how many accidents have been avoided in theme parks through history because the people running the ride were sticklers for the rules... we hear about these horrible accidents, but we don't hear about all the times it could have happened and didn't. Good on all those ride operators out there who have refused to be intimidated, or called a guest's bluff on suing the park.

Few things: Rider was well aware that his disability was significant enough that it wasn’t safe to ride everything. So much so that he specifically went to ask staff about it. Declined a pamphlet he or his wife could carry around and read requirements. The rider had prosthetic limbs, but despite the fact that they could have greatly improved his experience at the park, left them at home. I guarantee the “if I don’t wear my prosthetics and am in a wheelchair we can cut lines easier and not be questioned”. I’ve never known anyone disabled who didn’t say this… they usually have the “well if I have to live disabled then taking full advantage of handicap accommodations is one of the few benefits I will utilize in places like Disney etc” Rider gets on the ride having no conversation with staff or taking time to read the sign that says you have to have two legs. I’m sorry but this entire situation was his fault not the park. He was very well informed and knew his disability was a safety hazard on some rides but was grossly negligent. This was comparable to sitting in a seat at the emergency door on a plane for extra foot room knowing you can’t physically open that door if sht goes down. Signs literally saying “don’t sit here if you think you might be unable to open the door” are posted on the door and flight attendants even say you can change seats if you feel you can’t properly operate the escape door. Plane has accident and family wants to sue saying their loved one was unable to open the door and flight staff should have interrogated him about his ability to sit there. A woman just fell through a draw bridge that was lifting despite alarms, flashing lights, and the ground literally moving in front of her. She wasn’t blind or deaf and thought she could do what she wanted and now her family will sue bc she made poor choices. People need to be held responsible for dumb/reckless sht they do. It’s not “victim blaming” bc they aren’t a victim.

@katf3155

2 жыл бұрын

Spot on. While I get his determination to lead a normal life, it sounds like his pride got in the way of accepting help and advice.

@SprinkledFox

2 жыл бұрын

Many veterans return home psychologically hurt. War changes people. He may have lost some of his ability to rationally assess situations like the one that led to his death. And I'm speaking as someone with diagnosed PTSD. Trauma ruins the brain in so many ways. My disability requires others to help me better assess situations. Even though I've been through 5+ years of intensive therapy I still need help. It is hard to rationalize things when your brain is literally missing neurological connections. Especially since this was the first "normal" activity he's experienced since leaving treatment, I understand why he was upset to be told "no". His family didn't know any better either, and underpaid theme park employees cannot force people to follow rules. Overall, the entire situation is tragic. Try to be more empathetic. Everyone was a victim in this story.

@SprinkledFox

2 жыл бұрын

@@katf3155 The guy most likely struggled to rationalize the situation. His legs weren't the only things he lost in war

@cruisingscenesandtakingbea4197

2 жыл бұрын

@@SprinkledFox This helped me look at this in a different light. Ty. He was still over entitled though.

@angelalaplante1451

2 жыл бұрын

even if the dude wasn’t in his right mind, why wasn’t his family more involved? i’d be screaming at my loved one and possibly be willing to sacrifice our relationship to spare their life. but of course, i suppose you just can’t know exactly what you’d do unless you were in their shoes..

This one has always bothered me. To me, it’s on the guest to have enough common sense to know that if you’re lacking legs, you can’t go on a ride that secures you by the legs and waist. It’s just good sense.

@Ryies12

2 жыл бұрын

This is true, but you would hope that the attendants would notice that fact for him, considering it is their job

@lucianene7741

2 жыл бұрын

Totally agree. We are living in an age of total lack of accountability and consequent lack or responsibility. Everyone else is to blame, except the one who actually did it.

@happytrouble5561

2 жыл бұрын

@@Ryies12 So the attendants are supposed to notice this fact but the man himself does not? What were they supposed do? Just casually walk up to him and say : " Hey sir, I don't know if you noticed but you don't seem to have legs, so therefore can't go on the ride." ?He must have know that there would be a quite few limitations due to the state of his physique. Why even attempt to go on such ride, especially after everything he endured during his life, and basically getting a second chance? And I'm not saying not to do any fun stuff ever, but why one of the most extreme and flat out threatening to your life and safety? At this point you're just asking for it. This gentleman's death was very unfortunate, but it's down to each and every one of us to determine the possible hazards and be wise about it. We all make mistakes but one would assume you try to be extra careful when facing a potentially fatal threat.

@Subject_Keter

2 жыл бұрын

Not exactly the same but I had a fraud of a dentist get mad I didnt "brush" my teet to HIS standards so he missed a cavity that turned inyo a bigger issue. People can and will be jerks if any reason floats their boats. All of them in yhis case were at "Fault" but if I was to say go on Ghost Rider at knots with my bad back and I get hurt? It my fault.

@yakacm

2 жыл бұрын

@@Subject_Keter I guess that dentist must have really pissed you off, so like you use any opportunity to vent about it, lol.

I’ve ridden this thing probably a hundred times in my life and can definitely see why he flew out. You’re more than weightless at the top of those hills you’re being forced out of your seat

The attendants probably thought "well, he knows what he's able to do" and "someone else would've stopped him by now" and didn't speak up.

@alison4316

2 жыл бұрын

Yeah, that's what I was thinking. I think their young ages contributed as well, like he said.

@elennapointer701

2 жыл бұрын

Plus, there's an ingrained deference for war veterans, especially disabled ones. I'm guessing nobody wanted to be the one who turned down a hero.

@robertstone9988

2 жыл бұрын

Nobody wants to be the guy that has to tell somebody they're not allowed to do something that everybody else is allowed to do.

@BrettonFerguson

2 жыл бұрын

The fact that he got on that roller coaster wearing a hat shows he was not a veteran roller coaster rider. Otherwise he would have put his hat in his pocket when the ride began. He probably maybe would have been okay if he held on with his arms, but he let go to try and grab his hat as it flew off. One time I was riding Millenium Force at Cedar Point and my seatbelt would not stay locked. The bar came down and locked, but there was a couple inch gap between the bar and my legs. So I held on to the bar tightly with my arms. I was fine. Also nobody else died on that ride that day, so I assume everyone else was able to hold onto the bar tightly. If I had let go, for example to reach for a hat, I could have slid out. But I have ridden roller coasters before and put all loose items like hats, glasses, and cell phones in a pants pocket or in a coat pocket that zippered or buttoned shut.

@mikes7651

2 жыл бұрын

Here's the thing though... They did speak up, and it wasn't in the video for whatever reason. I live an hour away from there and was 16 when this happened. The guy got huffy when ride operators confronted him about it, so they let him get on anyway. Everybody I know knows the story that way. Crazy how things can get twisted over the years and now this video makes it look like it was all on the park.

I was there the day this happened! A local reporter tried to talk to us to see what had happened but we were shooed away by my mother. We then went home to discover that one of my sister's friends had been killed in a hit and run a few hours earlier. Unimaginably wild day.

I’ve ridden this many times, well aware of this story, and every time we come around that section it always gives me chills. I’ve been waiting for a video to be made on this ride Edit: loved reading the stories and comments made by people who live near Darien Lake! Hiiii :)

@cockoffgewgle4993

Жыл бұрын

It would make me smile every time I passed that section. Another dead US terrorist soldier.

Even before reading the comments you could basically guess what had really gone down here. It's sad that we now live in such a pampered society that people refuse to take any form of personal responsibility for their own actions. While Sergeant Hackemer's story undoubtedly is a sad one, I think we draw the wrong conclusion of this particular event if we just say: More staff-training is needed.

@jakeplumber1373

Жыл бұрын

Another outcome we can make is just because you are a veteran does not give you the green light to be an asshole.

The real takeaway here is never wear a hat on a rollercoaster.

@journeysalkebulan

2 жыл бұрын

The real takeaway here is someone lost their life! 😡🙄🙄🤡

@NannupTiger

2 жыл бұрын

Or a wig/weave...

@iJacker

2 жыл бұрын

@@journeysalkebulan 👮‍♀️💂‍♂️🕵️‍♂️🧑‍🍳🧑‍🏭👨‍🎨👨‍🚒🤴🎅

@edgaralanfrog

2 жыл бұрын

Yeah, I thought this was the one about the kid who got his head punted off after entering restricted areas to get his hat. Must’ve been one helluva hat.

@sophierobinson2738

2 жыл бұрын

I heard of one lady who lost a denture--screaming over a hill.

Considering the number of times in other professions that I or other coworkers were hesitant to enforce rules because 95% of the time trying to results in a half hour of the person screaming at the top of their lungs at you, then having your manager come up and decide to "make an exception this once" to make the customer happy despite them blatantly being in the wrong... Yeah, I can easily see a gaggle of teenagers not wanting to go through that, especially with the added stress of it looking like you're "picking on the disabled person".

Dude, your channel is one of the only few things on YT that I watch in 1.0x speed. Your storytelling is just too great to skim over. Cheers! :)

I really appreciate how you talked about the young people who were attendants on the ride. I didn’t think about them in the way you did until you explained how it probably was for them dealing with it at the time. I feel for the attendants and the victim’s family. Never for these huge corporations who get away with this stuff

I grew up near Darian Lake and love the water park. This is probably one of the few times you have covered an accident at an amusement park that was NOT a case of park management ignoring maintenance/safety warnings until it was too late. Edit: Okay, for my fellow locals, I'm from Clarence in Erie County.

@buffspringtrap

2 жыл бұрын

Grew up about 30 minutes away from Darian went there a lot as a kid that was the only ride I wouldn't go on I'd pick the wooden one think it's called the python over the ride of steel any day

@mollie-wankenobi8655

2 жыл бұрын

I saw the title of this and went "oh no I live near there" and yeah, the story always comes to mind when I go to the park

@troodon1096

2 жыл бұрын

Well, no, there was definitely a safety regulation that was ignored.

@kenirainseeker539

2 жыл бұрын

@@buffspringtrap The wooden one sucked...I think the viper was the one that had a lot of loops

@hueynapalm

2 жыл бұрын

The Predator is the wooden one you guys. Gave me a headache everytime. But my first roller coaster.

As someone who used to work rides at Kings Island, it's interesting to have it pointed out how another park handles prep for guests with disabilities. At Kings Island, at least when I worked there almost ten years ago, guests would go to a desk at the front and answer some questions, typically about mobility, limb control, mental capacity, etc. and then be given a filled out form (either in pink or green, which would determine whether they go through the line or go up the exit). The form had checks next to each ride that was safe for them to ride so they and ride attendants would know ahead of time and would allow for speedier, more consistent work. It would also make things smoother for the guest as they wouldn't have to go through a process they might feel embarrassed having to do at each ride. If a guest came to our ride who was unable to, we would recommend another ride that was available to them that was nearby. Granted, they would have to get a new form every time they came to the park, but that was to ensure there wasn't a change in what they could and couldn't do since their last visit that could put them in danger on a ride they were previously safe on. At the time, it felt like a fairly standard system and I always thought every park had this sort of thing in place, if not, something better.

@cole716

2 жыл бұрын

That sounds like a very good system

@rachelstratman1405

2 жыл бұрын

I know his disability was visible, but how did the park you worked at identify people who required this service? Did they ask upfront? Because if they didn't, how would you enforce it?

@ducatisti

2 жыл бұрын

@@rachelstratman1405 This type of assistance is for those with physical disabilities which would be readily apparent to the ride operators even if the guest chose not to use the form. The form just made the process more streamlined.

@writer15131

2 жыл бұрын

I don't know how it worked for staff at admissions, it's possible they would simply recommend stopping at the desk to make their day easier. And they would likely only bring it up to those who asked or those with very obvious disabilities such as being in wheelchairs, using crutches (a pink form could be used for someone with a cast so they know which rides are available, but they may not need to go up the exit if it's something like an arm cast), or have family/friends helping them with most activities. Other than that, I'm guessing guests would also look up the service beforehand on the website. It is also available for those with mental disabilities such as those with lower-functioning autism as they wouldn't be able to wait in long lines and similar instances. It's also available for those with service animals (although, obviously, the animal cannot ride, so one guest tends to stay with it while the rest of the group rides, then they switch when they come back around). And, yes, it can be done without the form to a degree, but that's typically because the guest was unaware of the service and were still capable of getting up and down stairs. We would have to make an assessment for our ride upon their arrival based on our training, but we'd also let them know about the service so they wouldn't have to keep doing that at most larger rides. If they tried to come up through the exit without a form, we would either tell them of the service and they'd go get a form or we would call an area supervisor out to get that sorted out there (which tended to happen more on really busy days where it might be hard for them to get back to admissions). I'd say 98% of the guests I encountered already had a form and were good to go.

Love your channel, saves me a fortune on theme park trips as I show it to the kids who are now terrified of theme parks!

I grew up 15 minutes from darien lake. As soon as we heard about this, no one could even believe he was let on the ride. Or got in the seat and decided to stay on the roller coaster. The restraint bar is literally on your hip. Your legs keep you in. There is only a restraint bar, nothing else. It is almost impossible to not fall out if you don’t have legs, let alone are missing a hip. The part that he fell off the ride during is near the end, and if you are a small person you end up bouncing around in your seat a little and you can feel the strong force trying to take you upwards. This is just unbelievable that something preventable like this would have happened. But, there are mostly kids working the rides at this park. I have heard that this man bullied his way onto the ride. It is the only logical explanation. The kids working the rides and people who frequent darien lake know very well about how the restraints work. Part of the ride being so thrilling is that you feel like you should have more than just a lap bar holding you in. So yeah, this was preventable completely.

Being an ex ride operator while growing up, I can safely say that it's a difficult job that often goes by unnoticed. Parents especially can be extremely rude and uncaring, because I guess when they're on vacation they're allowed to leave basic human decency at the park entrance. Due to this, most just kinda go about our business until it becomes monotonous. So some mental fatigue absolutely sets in. Then again, they aren't hiring engineers to run these rides. They're hiring late teens, early 20s people and paying barely more than minimum wage, so it's not like the financial incentive is there. If they hired enough people with proper training and paid them well enough to care more, park tickets would cost WAY more than they already do, and I'm sure wouldn't bring in as much money. So, kinda a bad situation in all areas. Anyway, ill get off my soap box lol great video as always!

@kenirainseeker539

2 жыл бұрын

Parents on vacation are the worst, I feel like they're stressed/resentful because they have to spend their whole vacation taking care of the kids and can't really enjoy themselves. Especially when they bring babies for some reason.

@duradim1

2 жыл бұрын

You can't pay people enough to care. EITHER YOU HAVE A CARING HEART OR YOU DON'T.

@miaferrari958

2 жыл бұрын

@@duradim1 It's not about not caring about human life, it's a "I don't get paid enough to exert my mental health arguing with entitled assholes and being berated for it" situation

@abbydebusk6189

2 жыл бұрын

I would think that instead if they invested in having mangers who are well paid and have experience and authority in human confrontation as well as policy would have been better. Unfortunately those jobs like you said will be monotonous and a constant balancing act low-level employees have to deal with no matter what. But if there is no hesitation for them to call a higher up with authority and knowledge to handle a rare situation like this it will keep the park out of trouble, higher employee morale, and not a huge cost to front.

@psyche5893

2 жыл бұрын

@@duradim1 yeah no I want a living wage, thanks :)

I live 20 minutes away from this park and they have season passes which pay for themselves if you go just twice. So I spent a lot of time here growing up. To get over my fear of roller coasters the ride of steel was the first one I rode back in 2001. Absolutely loved it. It’s more uncomfortable now with the added safety measures but I wanted to add that the attendants actually did stop him from getting on at first but he made a scene and threatened to sue the park for discrimination.

@joshfinn5515

2 жыл бұрын

Yup I knew people who worked there and they said he kept saying he was a war hero and forced his way on.

@midnight-is1og

2 жыл бұрын

I live close to it too like around 45 minutes

@eviehammond9509

2 жыл бұрын

And yet in multiple retellings of this tragedy that part is left out. WTF??

I like these channels that give trustworthy sources to their stories! Subscribed immediately!

I remember growing up going to this amusement park and hearing the story at the age of 9. It scared all of us, none of us knew if it was true but , when we did find the truth out it made the ride more scary.

If this is about the severely physically disabled veteran who fell off it's important to note that employees did tell him which rides were safe for disabled guests. He refused an information pamphlet about which rides were safe for physically disabled guests. There were signs posted on the ride itself that riders must have two legs to ride, which he either didn't see or ignored. The narrative that he wasn't warned by staff is a complete fabrication. If you would like to hear an accurate telling of this story Coaster College's video on the topic discusses a lot of misconceptions around this accident.

@scolipede491

2 жыл бұрын

literally all of those points are addressed in the video.

@natgrafton5138

2 жыл бұрын

@@scolipede491 I didn't watch bc I know of this and have heard it told many times, I just found the description/intro misleading

@SprinkledFox

2 жыл бұрын

Many veterans return home psychologically damaged. War changes people. He may have lost some of his ability to rationally assess situations like the one that led to his death. And I'm speaking as someone with diagnosed PTSD. Trauma ruins the brain in so many ways. My disability requires others to help me better assess situations. Even though I've been through 5+ years of intensive therapy I still need help. It is hard to rationalize things when your brain is literally missing neurological connections. Especially since this was the first "normal" activity he's experienced since leaving treatment, I understand why he was upset to be told "no". His family didn't know any better either, and underpaid theme park employees cannot force people to follow rules. Overall, the entire situation is tragic. Try to be more empathetic. Everyone was a victim in this story.

@natgrafton5138

2 жыл бұрын

@@SprinkledFox I'm not at all trying to blame the victim of this accident, again only clarifying that the description has blatant misinformation in it, which isn't usually the point of this channel. I see how my original comment can be interpreted as 'vet was in the wrong, staff good' which was not at all my intention.

I always felt badly for his nephew. I couldn’t even imagine watching a family flying through the air. Plus the attendants did question him and it turned into a huge fight.

@rosevee4600

2 жыл бұрын

I thought that too. That poor kid, he probably has PTSD from witnessing his uncle die in the fall. :(

Title should be: "Man with too much pride argues his way onto death trap"

I worked at an amusement park when I was young and the people who run those rides are high school students. When you’re getting on those ride you’re putting your life in the hands of literal children, they’re going to make mistakes and unfortunately it has the potential to be tragic like this was

@Patexer

Жыл бұрын

You’re not putting your life in the hands of children lol.

Sgt. had too much pride and not enough common sense. I get what he wanted and the dynamics of how it would be almost impossible for the attendants to challenge his wishes. He put himself and everyone else in a no win scenario. Yeah technically the park has some legal responsibility in this, but this is the same as someone not wearing a seatbelt and having a fatal accident that could have been avoided if belted in and then suing the car maker. Sad.

@user-kc1tf7zm3b

2 жыл бұрын

An amusement park assumes all legal responsibility for incidents such as these. Otherwise, there would be no need for an amusement park to come to a confidential financial settlement to resolve the matter. But, you are right. A former army NCO ought to know how to conduct himself in these settings, to avoid these disastrous outcomes from the outset. A more diligent double amputee would carefully and seriously research which rides can safely be ridden, and, which rides are just not appropriate for one with a significant disability. The tragedy was totally avoidable.

@solisinvictus4238

2 жыл бұрын

period. I am really trying to feel compassion here...but this is a case of too much pride.

@ingloriousbaxter

2 жыл бұрын

Agreed. It’s mentioned a few times that he refused assistance from the park and operators. You can’t expect a 19 year old kid to feel comfortable standing up to a disabled war vet who has already told you off

@libertylost8286

2 жыл бұрын

I also feel if he had read the pamphlet on what rides he could get on, this might not have happened. He was offered one, but said he already had one. I am disabled myself. I look at the ride guidelines and if it says anything about neck and back injuries, I don’t go in the ride. I take responsibility for my owe well being. I don’t rely on someone else. I don’t trust people to know everything. Now if the ride says it is safe and I ride it and I got injured or died, then I or my family, would sue the pants off of them.

@user-kc1tf7zm3b

2 жыл бұрын

@@solisinvictus4238 The amusement park management were too weak and lacking emotional conviction when enforcing ride safety policies. Ride safety guides and warning signs mean absolutely nothing when the staffers and management at the ride are too timid and lacking emotional maturity to resolutely enforce the ride rules and policies. But, when the ride attendants are mostly teenagers, what does one expect?

It wasn't really about his height. The seatbelt and restraints clamp onto your waist and legs. Without legs you can slide out of the restraints. He would need a restraint that went over your shoulders.

I went to Six Flags in Texas with my family. Dispite buying season passes I told my wife afterward that we wouldn't be going back because dispite going to many amusement parks in my home state of Florida I did not feel safe at Six Flags. That summer a woman fell to her death on a coaster that had been newly refurbished.

@moonytheloony6516

Жыл бұрын

Think of it this way... How often did that ride operate and divide that with that fatality. I know, it sounds cold and analytical but I'm saying it to make a point about the perceptions we often create out of fear. A plane crash is usually 100% fatal to all passengers aboard. You have a plane that goes down and just like that 250 people are gone. It's an astronomical number but when one looks at all the commercial flights yearly, and the amount people transported in those flights, that number, though tragic (and the accident itself) is small thus the risks are quite slim and the claim that flying is safer than driving is mathematically correct. Perception.

@the_sixxness

Жыл бұрын

@@moonytheloony6516 listen dude. I have been to a lot of places and rode a lot of coasters. Generally I feel safe at most places I have been. But Six Flags didn't feel right to me and I always trust my instincts.

@moonytheloony6516

Жыл бұрын

@@the_sixxness You're missing out on fun, excitement, thrills and earth shattering anticipation...

i've been to darien lake a dozen times (native new yorker!) i've also ridden this every time ive gone. i remember this case as well. the park attendees are definitely vigilant about this kind of thing and i agree with everyone saying they must have informed him he couldn't ride, no way they didnt notice the safety issue

Normally when you cover amusement park accidents, it’s shown to be the negligence of the park itself. However: as soon as you had a photo of the gentleman @ 4:03 flash on the screen I literally did a face palm. What the hell did he think was going to happen?! Common sense must come into play when you’re dealing with your own safety, no matter how much you respect a can-do attitude. Although it’s a terrible thing, a lawsuit here wasn’t warranted.

@mrdth1012

2 жыл бұрын

I agree. There was definitely fault from both sides not just the park Especially since there were signs at the ride and in the booklet the man allegedly had which stated the safety precautions.

@queeg6473

2 жыл бұрын

@@mrdth1012 But the family wanted money. It was all about the money.

@vsduvall

2 жыл бұрын

Agreed

@gilded_lady

2 жыл бұрын

I was in the jury pool for a guy suing Six Flags. He dressed slovenly (which screamed this is about $$) and was obviously obese and could tell that he probably shouldn't have been on that ride. When asked about riding coasters most of the pool was like "you still need to have common sense." I don't know what happened in that case (they seated the jury before I got questioned) but I could definitely tell the guy had an uphill battle ahead of him.

@roser6963

2 жыл бұрын

I agree. You have to be responsible for your own actions. I don’t know why he thought it was a good idea to go on that ride. The poor nephew must’ve been traumatized.

While I do understand the vet for wanting to be treated like a "normal" human being, he clearly should not have been let in. Today, the family would not win a court case IMHO because there would be footage available from 46 angles and sound recording of him bullying his way to the ride. Of course it's tragical. But who in their right mind expected a 20 year old to stand in the way of a 40-ish combat veteran? Frankly, if you are warned and there are signs then if you enter it should be your responsibility from that point. You WANTED it.

@small_joys2022

Жыл бұрын

I think its very shameful of the family to have sued the park when they knew what actually happened. Guess belligerance runs in their blood.

@jackrabbit6515

Жыл бұрын

I don't get why they didn't halt the ride and call a supervisor to deal with him.

Oh shit. I've been to that amusement park a couple of times. I went on a haunted house ride there once when I was like. Maybe 5? It was me and a friend. The ride operator was drunk. He forgot we were inside the haunted house. He turned the ride off before our cart exited... Needless to say, my mom was furious. I have this incredibly vivid memory of being in the middle of a haunted house as a child, and then pitch black. No sound. It was exactly as terrifying as you can imagine. We decided to get out of the cart, because nothing was happening and it was pitch black inside of a haunted house lol. We ended up tripping on the tracks that the carts rode on and I remember that both of us were covered in black grease by the time we got out. Eventually, the ride turned back on. I will never forget the sight of the cart going through the doors at the exit, suddenly allowing the daylight to pour in. We knew where to go. And we went.

I went to ride a looping coaster at a 6-flags many years ago. I am not fat, or disabled, but I do have a huge (natural) buxom bosom. I sat in the chair and the attendant came around checking the harnesses and belts. He noted that my shoulder harness didn't click both times into place (there's supposed to be 2 locks on the harness plus a seatbelt). He tried pushing on it and it just wouldn't click into the second position, allowing for the seat belt to be buckled. I said 'That's alright' and said 'to just let me off'... thinking the harness was broken. Instead, he called over another attendant (delaying departure and pissing off those in line) They got on either side of me and pushed down hard on the shoulder harness, which shoved my breasts painfully between the bars so that my right breast was sitting on top of my left, getting crushed between the bars! Not only that, but it still didn't lock into the second position. Then one said to 'just let her go". I said 'NO! Let me out!' as they were quickly walking away from me. Some guy in line, watching the whole thing made a huge stink for me, demanding they let me off the ride simply because I said so. They decided not to make more of a scene or delay and unlocked the single-lock and let me out. Even if the harness had held up, I can just imagine what those g-forces would have done to my chest while clamped into a mammogram-like position. Absolute jackasses!

@jayterra2060

6 ай бұрын

Omg that sounds terrifying

I felt bad for the staff who were probably intimidated by the thought of telling a middle-aged war veteran that he couldn't ride the coaster while watching the video, but the comments have informed me that they did their best and he was just a brat about it. In a sense, he got what was coming to him, he refused to acknowledge that rules exist for a reason and basically bullied his way onto a ride that he could not ride safely. Dumbass…

I visited this park in the early 00s and went on this ride. what surprised me was that the restraints in this roller coaster are just a lap bar. it doesn't strap up over your shoulders. I can easily see how someone with no legs could slip up and out of the lap bar.

@jfiorello68

2 жыл бұрын

That stuck out at me too.

@timmyt4207

2 жыл бұрын

It might've been unsafe back then but lap bars are fully safe restraints if the park is up to date on safety. They have at least 2 safety back ups and are made using a hydraulic system that means they won't come up unless in the station

@redmanish

2 жыл бұрын

Exactly, it’s wild that the guy ever even considered riding that coaster if it didn’t have a shoulder restraint. Seems like pure common sense if you have no lower limbs!

I remember this incident quite well. I grew up 20 minutes from the part and rode that coaster often. So tragic

Darien Lake, where this ride is, is local to me and I’ve visited the park tons of times. I’ve been underweight and on the shorter side my whole life, as an adult I‘m 5 feet tall, 85 lbs. My dad never let me ride the Ride of Steel, and to this day I‘m still afraid of going anywhere near it due to my height and how narrow I am

I may be wrong on this as memories do change, but I remember a slight different story. If I am not mistaken, the ride operators did challenge him, but he bullied his way into their submission. They originally protested but he kept saying things like "I'm a war vet!" " I love roller coasters!' "I will board this if it's the last thing I do" and they finally relented. And then the accident happened. And the family originally wasn't going to sue, because it was his decision, but of course not even a week after that was announced they did. Or is this another example of the Mandela Effect?

@thaliabirrueta8456

2 жыл бұрын

I don't think it's the Mandela Effect. I believe someone else in comment mentioned this same vet as well.

@retrogamesmadeeasy8058

2 жыл бұрын

Yeah man, the family changed their minds due to greed. In the end they weren't able to though due to having already signed away the rights to sue.

@TailgunnerATC

2 жыл бұрын

Yeah this video is not accurate at all.

@rubywhitfield2881

2 жыл бұрын

His nephew said that no one objected?