21 Theme Park Rides Too Dangerous to Stay Open

Theme parks are built around the idea of controlled danger. Roller coasters, drop towers, water rides, and spinning attractions are supposed to make guests feel scared for a few seconds while still being safe. Most of the time, that is exactly what happens. Millions of people visit amusement parks every year without serious injury, and statistically, everyday activities like driving are far more dangerous than riding a roller coaster.

Still, when something goes wrong at a theme park, the results can be terrifying. Mechanical failures, poor maintenance, design flaws, operator mistakes, and ignored safety warnings have all played a role in real incidents over the years. Some accidents were rare and unpredictable, while others raised troubling questions about whether a ride should have been operating in the first place.

The most unsettling cases are the ones that seem preventable. In several instances, attractions were closed permanently after serious injuries or deaths. Others remained open only after major safety changes, redesigns, or new operating rules. These rides became cautionary examples for the amusement industry and reminders that even heavily engineered thrills can carry real risk.

To compile this slideshow, 24/7 Tempo reviewed reports from local news outlets, legal sources, official statements, safety records, and information from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. Click through to see theme park rides and attractions that proved too dangerous to stay open.

On May 30, 1970, in Battersea Park, London, the John Collins Big Dipper roller coaster came off the tracks, killing five people and injuring 13 others. So much went wrong that day. During the initial investigation, the report found 51 faults, including an unsafe pedestrian walkway. The ride closed shortly after and was replaced with a steel roller coaster. However, low numbers led to the park's ultimate closing.

Another devastating theme park accident occurred on the Verrückt at the Schlitterbahn Kansas City water park in Kansas City, Kansas. In 2016, on the Verrückt, a 168-foot water slide, Caleb Schwab (a 10-year-old boy from Kansas) went airborne while riding the slide and was killed. When the waterslide craft went airborne, Caleb struck the metal netting, which decapitated him. The other two passengers were injured but survived.

The park closed immediately, but reopened for a few days. The ride, however, remained closed for investigation. During the investigation, they found many safety issues and violations. For instance, because of the placement of the three riders, there was an uneven weight distribution as Caleb was on his own side and weighed 74 pounds. The two women weighed a combined 472 pounds.

Accidents can happen anywhere, including Japan. At Expoland, a now-defunct theme park, the Fujin Raijin II, a stand-up roller coaster, derailed, injuring about 20 people and killing a 19-year-old student, Yoshino Kogawara. A broken axle caused the ride to derail. An investigation revealed that the axles hadn't been replaced in over ten years. The park closed, and so did the ride for an investigation. However, during the same year, the theme park closed its doors due to low attendance, likely a result of the horrifying accident.

Another roller coaster to derail and claim the life of someone was the Jetline Roller Coaster in Sweden. On June 25, 2023, the coaster derailed, sending three people to the ground. Of these three, one died and the two others were seriously injured. Seven people were taken to the hospital after the incident. The roller coaster closed that day and remained so even after the Swedish Accident Investigation Authority had completed its investigation.

The Cobra in Denmark was a steel roller coaster involved in two accidents, one of which led to its permanent closure. The first was just a few days after its opening. On July 4, 2008, the front cart fell and injured four people on board. However, after further testing and improvements, the ride opened without issue.

That changed, though, on July 14, 2022, when one of the carts of the ride broke off. A 14-year-old girl was killed, and a 13-year-old boy was injured during the accident. The park then closed for two days, while the roller coaster was permanently closed.

One of the most recent and disturbing theme park accidents happened on March 24, 2022, in Icon Park in Orlando, Florida. While riding the Orlando FreeFall, 14-year-old Tyre Sampson fell to his death when he slipped out of the restraints. Quest Engineering and Failure Analysis, Inc. investigated the devastating incident and revealed that Sampson's restraint proximity sensors were manually adjusted as he exceeded the recommended weight. The ride was closed permanently soon after and dismantled. The family was also awarded $310 million after the accident. Although a life-changing amount, you can't put a price on a loved one.

When a roller coaster is named Xtreme, you might as well believe it. This Louisiana roller coaster, now defunct, was at Blue Bayou and Dixie Landin' in Baton Rouge. On July 11, 2010, Lindsay Zeno, a woman, fell to her death on the ride while having problems with the seat belt. One witness noted she was trying to buckle herself back in after hitting a sharp turn.

The popular theme park, Adventureland in East Farmingdale, New York, was also faced with tragedy. On August 31, 2005, a 45-year-old woman was flung from the ride when her harness malfunctioned. She landed in a car and died of her injuries. The ride closed and never reopened again

Fires are so dangerous. They can spread in the blink of an eye. A fire broke out at Haunted Castle at Six Flags Great Adventure in 1984, claiming the lives of eight teenagers. These teenagers were part of a group of nine, where only one survived. The fire spread quickly, engulfing the attraction in minutes because of the AC fans.

Technically, this ride didn't permanently close, but they did close for years before putting in new restrictions to prevent another tragedy. On May 9, 2017, an 11-year-old girl fell out of a raft while riding Splash Canyon at Drayton Manor Resort. She drowned by slipping into a deeper pool and was pronounced dead upon arrival at Birmingham Children's Hospital. The ride closed immediately and went under investigation. It openly reopened in the summer of 2021 after changing the height requirement from 47 to 51 inches.

Since the accident, Raging River at Adventureland has remained closed. On July 3, 2021, a ride raft with six people flipped over, trapping the riders underwater. The eleven-year-old passed away, one person was seriously injured, and another two walked away with minor injuries.

While the Perilous Plunge opened again after this accident, it's worth a mention. It's also now defunct. On September 21, 2001, a 40-year-old woman fell out of the ride. She died of her injuries, including blunt force trauma to the head. Although her restraints were locked into place, she slipped through while on the drop sequence.

A lack of maintenance can spell disaster for riders, which is what happened in 2017 during the Ohio State Fair. On July 26, 2017, one of the arms of the ride snapped, plunging the riders to the ground. One of the riders, an 18-year-old, died at the scene due to their injuries. Seven others were injured, some by debris. The cause was excessive corrosion, which should have been noticed immediately.

Once again, maintenance can really be the difference between life and death when it comes to amusement park rides. On September 28, 2019, one of the carts on the Quimera at La Feria de Chapultepec broke off, crashing into the ground. Ten passengers fell thirty feet, and two died as they hit their heads on the steel support. The investigation into the park and the incident was shocking. The report indicated that none of the rides in the park had undergone maintenance, resulting in the park's closure.

Does anyone remember the news reports on the accident at Wildcat? This roller coaster was at the now-defunct Bell's Amusement Park in Tulsa, Oklahoma. On April 20, 1997, two carts crashed into each other as the ride experienced a mechanical failure. One cart, which reached nearly the top of the ride, fell back, smashing into another ride vehicle. This resulted in the death of a fourteen-year-old.

Were you expecting a Disney ride to make our list? Well, unfortunately, it has. In 2003, in California's Disneyland, the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad derailed, causing the death of one rider and injuring about ten others. The ride remained closed for about six months until after the investigation and report were concluded/released. This ride, though, didn't permanently shut down. Instead, Disney made huge changes to their operations, including more frequent maintenance checks, after the train derailed because of a lack of maintenance.

Action Park was an amusement park with a magnet for death and injuries. Six people died in this theme park on separate rides and experiences. One unforgettable accident that closed the ride forever was the Kayak Experience. On August 1, 1982, Jeffrey Nathan got out of his tipped kayak. While placing his feet on the ground, he came in contact with exposed live wiring, which shocked him and sent him into cardiac arrest. The ride remained closed after this incident.

Six Flags has quite a way of finding and installing the most thrilling rides into their theme parks. They've also, unfortunately, been in the news too many times for accidents. One of these that didn't result in death was with the ride Ninja at Six Flags Magic Mountain. On July 7, 2014, a pine tree branch fell on the tracks. When the ride cart fit the branch, it derailed. Four of the riders were injured, with two being treated at the hospital. The ride closed for 12 days, and Six Flags changed its safety operations to ensure it wouldn't happen again.

The Sydney Ghost Train at Luna Park Sydney incident is another one that was caused by a dangerous fire. On June 9, 1979, a mix of arson and electrical faults caused a fire to break out inside the ride. About 35 people were on the ride at the time. The fire roared quickly as the park was short-staffed and had a lackluster fire hose system that didn't quite reach the Sydney Ghost Train. Seven people died because of the fire.

Another accident that occurred in California's Disneyland was with the ride Roger Rabbit Car Toon Spin. The ride remains open, although changes were made so that no accident happens again. On September 22, 2000, a four-year-old fell out of the dark ride and became trapped under a car, sustaining serious injuries. These injuries placed him in a coma for weeks. He died at 13 due to complications of the injuries.

Last but not least is another deadly river rafting ride, the Thunder River Rapids Ride at Dreamworld. On October 25, 2016, a malfunction caused one raft filled with six riders to collide with a vacant one. The passengers were thrown out of the raft and trapped near the conveyor mechanism. Four of the six died due to fatal injuries, while the other two, who were children, managed to escape without any serious injuries. The ride permanently closed in November of 2016.