Iowa amusement park to permanently shut down rafting that killed 11-year-old

An amusement park in Altoona, Iowa, has decided to permanently close the ride that killed an 11-year-old boy in 2021. in accordance with Associated Press.

Other family members were also injured, and Michael’s parents sued the amusement park as well as the raft manufacturer in 2022, according to court documents obtained by CBS News. The litigation is ongoing.

In a letter published on the park websitegeneral manager Bill Lentz announced that the ride was closing.

“We have made changes to our operations throughout the resort, always focusing on safety as the most important element,” Lenz wrote. “On that note, I want to let you know that we have decided to permanently close Raging River. The decision was made after several months of studying the attraction in close collaboration with its manufacturer to determine what improvements each would need to meet our operating standards. “

Lenz said the “beloved log ride” will be replaced by a “next-generation super catalog” called Draken Falls.

In the Jaramillo lawsuit, the Jaramillo family alleges that the park continued to operate on the day of the accident and that for years the park failed to properly maintain and repair the rides, including Raging River. according to AP.

At the time, Adventureland Park officials said in a statement to CBS News that the ride was closed pending an investigation. “Adventureland is saddened to learn of the passing of one guest involved in the Raging River accident on the evening of 07/03/21,” officials said in a statement.

When the incident occurred, the attraction had just opened to the public for the first time since 2020 and first went through a full inspection, park officials said, according to CBS affiliate KCCI. When the raft capsized, six people were on it. Because the attraction is far from the entrance to the park, it was difficult for firefighters to get to it.

Lance Rutson of the Altoona Fire Department said that when units arrived on the scene, they had to walk 200 to 300 yards to get to the attraction. “The closest (walked), maybe about a hundred. This is the closest we could actually get the vehicle, and they have to go the rest of the way, carry their equipment and so on, ”said Rutson.

Jaramillo’s lawsuit also names Adventure Lands of America, the park’s parent company, and its former CEO Michael Krantz, as well as three managers. “All actions or omissions of the said officers and managers occurred during their employment with Adventure Land and within the scope of their employment,” the lawsuit states, according to AP.

Lenz became CEO in April. according to the park.

In a statement to CBS News, Jaramillo’s attorney, Fred Dorr, said the ride was no longer open after the incident. “The fact that the new owner of Adventureland, after an extensive safety and operational review, has now decided to permanently close the Raging River ride confirms our previous intensive investigation that the ride was not safe on the day the Jaramillo family was put on it.” Dorr said.

He said the state would soon be added as a defendant in the lawsuit because officials had six months to investigate the tort suit filed against him, which expires in March.

Guy Cook, a lawyer representing the park, says the trial is scheduled for March 11, 2024. “Adventurelands of America and the former owners have denied allegations of negligence,” Cook said, adding that the attraction was inspected by a government inspector. the day before the accident and no violations were found.

“Moreover, according to annual pre-opening safety checks and the findings of state inspectors, there have been no misses, serious accidents, or deaths among park visitors at the Raging River attraction in almost 40 years of operation,” Cook said.

Dorr said in a statement that the attraction was considered unconditionally safe and ready for park visitors before it reopened in July 2021, but it was re-inspected after Michael’s death and 17 security breaches were found.

CBS News has reached out to the amusement park for more information and is awaiting a response.

Content Source

News Press Ohio – Latest News:
Columbus Local News || Cleveland Local News || Ohio State News || National News || Money and Economy News || Entertainment News || Tech News || Environment News

Related Articles

Back to top button