Rollercoaster camera caught utter terror on people’s faces after seat belt failed on 208ft ride that travels at 75mph
A girl was rescued by a couple whose restraints managed to keep her on a broken rollercoaster seat – and the heroic act was caught on camera.
The teenager’s belt came loose during the first ascent of the Mamba ride at 75 miles per hour at Worlds of Fun park in Kansas. City.
Chris and Cassie Evins said they heard “blood-curdling” screams from the seat behind them on Oct. 11.
Chris said the screams were ‘like I’ve never heard before’ and that he ‘assumed this was his first ride.’
But when the girl said her seatbelt was undone, the couple sprung into action and reached down to keep her inside.
Chris said KCTV5: ‘I had my arm wrapped around the bottom of the lap bar, where there was a pretty big gap between it and the lap bar. At this point I see a huge area, no seatbelts.
‘I put my arm under the lap bar and grabbed her wrist. ‘My wife was pressing on her legs.’
The couple have season tickets to Worlds of Fun, so they are familiar with Mamba, whose highest point is 68 meters, according to the park’s website.
As the couple held on to the panicking girl, they knew the roller coaster was facing hills and turns that could throw her from the unsecured seat.
This photo, taken by the Mamba roller coaster camera, captured the moment Chris and Cassie Evins held on to a girl whose seatbelt was unfastened in the seat behind them.
The Evinses had season tickets for Worlds of Fun, so they were familiar with the Mamba, which helped them predict turns and hills so they could keep the girl in her seat more effectively
Mamba stands at a daunting height of 208 ft at its highest point, which is the first peak (pictured)
Chris said expectantly that he ‘changed our positions to push his whole body down instead of holding her to keep her from getting off the seat as we went over the hills.’
The Evinses’ quick thinking probably saved the girl because they were able to keep her safe until the journey was over.
The roller coaster camera, which usually records the riders’ screams of amusement, documented the much more serious and terrified screams of Evinses and the girl they were helping.
The photo shows Chris and Cassie lying on the seat behind them, looking distraught, and the girl leaning forward with a petrified expression on her wrinkled face.
The couple immediately reported the incident to the park, and the park assured them that the ride was closed for inspection for the remainder of the day.
A spokesperson for Worlds of Fun told the Daily Mail: ‘The safety of our guests and team members is the top priority. Following notification of a guest concern about the ride a few weeks ago, our team immediately closed the ride and completed a thorough inspection before reopening that evening.
‘The ride is equipped with a multi-layer safety system; Lap bars are primary safety. Seat belts serve as secondary protection.
‘Across multiple inspections, there was no evidence of safety failure in the lap bar system or any seat belt buckles during any driving inspection, and the ride has operated safely since the initial concern was raised.’
The Evinses’ quick thinking probably saved the girl because they were able to keep her in the seat until the ride was over.
The Mamba can reach speeds of up to 75 miles per hour and has a dual restraint system consisting of a lap bar and seat belt.
A spokesperson from Worlds of Fun emphasized that multiple inspections have found the lap bars on the Mamba to be fully functional.
Chris said: ‘What if there was someone else in our seats? What if others were his friends? You know, they could have had a very different outcome.’
Evinses said they broke up with the girl and were unable to talk to her after helping her. They said they were trying to contact the family.
Mamba’s last inspection before the closing call took place on April 25. A series of inspections have been carried out on the same day and in the following days since the girl’s seatbelt malfunction.
Department of Public Safety spokesman Mike O’Connell said: Kansas City Star It was stated that during one of the inspections on October 30, it was determined that several belts in the vehicle were not working properly.
A spokesman for the park said: ‘On Thursday, the vehicle underwent a comprehensive safety inspection by the Fire Marshall.
‘Again, the lap bars and buckles were found to be fully functional and before the ride opened to guests that evening, we implemented minor modifications to a number of seat belts to ensure they met or exceeded all applicable safety standards.’
