Ride at Fun Spot's Kissimmee amusement park closed after young boy seriously hurt
Young boy seriously hurt on Florida coaster
A roller coaster at a Florida amusement park has been indefinitely shut down after a six-year-old boy was found under the ride with serious injuries, according to officials. The boy was found Thursday afternoon on the ground under the ride – The Galaxy Spin, a wild mouse-type coaster – and had "traumatic injuries," a spokesperson for the Osceola County Fire Rescue department said in a statement.
A roller coaster at a Florida amusement park has been indefinitely shut down after a six-year-old boy was found under the ride with serious injuries, according to officials.
The boy was found Thursday afternoon on the ground under the ride – The Galaxy Spin, a wild mouse-type coaster – and had "traumatic injuries," a spokesperson for the Osceola County Fire Rescue department said in a statement. That boy was transported to the hospital. An update on his condition was not available at the last check on Friday.
In a statement, Fun Spot America confirmed that "an unfortunate incident" happened on its Galaxy Spin roller coaster and that a child was injured.
Ride shut down after boy falls off it
A roller coaster at Fun Spot America's theme park in Kissimmee, Florida, has been shut down after a boy was injured while riding it. Officials said the boy was found 20 feet beneath "The Galaxy Spin's" track and had 'traumatic injuries.' It's unclear exactly how the boy ended up off the ride, but the Osceola County Fire Rescue Department said it initially received a call reporting a boy had fallen off the ride.
"Our thoughts and prayers are with the child and their family, and we pray for a speedy recover," read the statement.
Later in the statement, Fun Spot said the ride has been inspected by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services and that no mechanical issues were found. The amusement park said it "will not reopen the ride until we are 100% sure this will not happen again," adding that the coaster remains closed pending the investigation.
The Galaxy Spin at Fun Spot's theme park in Kissimmee on Friday, Aug. 4, a day after it was shut down after a child was injured. (FOX 35 Orlando)
FOX 35 reached out to Fun Spot to inquire about what happened and how the boy was injured by the ride. We did not receive an immediate response.
Photos shared with FOX 35 showed a red sign had been placed in front of The Galaxy Spin's queue: "This ride is temporarily closed for maintenance" it read.
Photo shared with FOX 35. Courtesy: Jessica Hacker
Fun Spot’s website calls Galaxy Spin a coaster "that produces heavy G forces as you go around sharp and tight corners."
A video from Attractions Magazine shows a first-person view of the ride. The online roller coaster database lists the coaster’s maximum height at nearly 43 feet with a top speed of 29 mph. Four people fit in each cart. Solo riders have to be at least four feet tall or at least 3.5 feet tall with an adult.
The Florida Department of Agriculture said it was aware of the incident and was conducting an investigation. Galaxy Spin will remain closed pending the outcome of a state investigation. No other details were immediately released.
Ken Martin, a ride safety expert, said investigators will look at several key factors.
"They’re going to be looking for witness statements, they’re going to be looking for the maintenance records, they’re going to be looking for the most recent inspection records," Martin said.
Fun Spot has two locations in Florida – in Orlando and Kissimmee – and a third in Atlanta, Georgia.