Scary Footage: Slingshot Ride Snaps With 2 People Inside
on Dec 16, 2022
Shocking footage floating around the internet shows the crazy moment two teenage boys were on an amusement park ride on December 14th when it malfunctioned and broke as they were being launched into the air.
The boys were strapped into a “reverse bungee” ride at Winter Wonderland in Hyde Park in London, UK on Wednesday. They were moments away from getting sling-shotted into the sky when the ride operator pushed the button to release them for take off.
Only problem was, as they were headed up, one of the bungees broke free causing the boys to only go halfway up before falling back down and slamming into one of the poles that the other bungee was still connected to.
The fire department and police were called to come to the scene but when they got there the boy had already been “safely” escorted off the ride by the park staff and were gone. According to the park staff, the boys were not injured and no report was filed on the accident.
Firefighters were called to Winter Wonderland last night as two people were trapped inside a bungee carriage. They were freed by on-site staff and there was no action required by the Brigade. pic.twitter.com/XNS38UxIQr
— London Fire Brigade (@LondonFire) December 15, 2022
According to the BBC, a Hyde Park Winter Wonderland spokesperson said, “We can confirm that a technical issue involving the reverse bungee occurred on Wednesday evening. Both riders were safely escorted off the ride, checked by our on-site medics and were not injured. Safety is our highest priority and the ride is closed while further investigation takes place. All of our rides undergo rigorous and regular safety checks by experienced members of staff trained in health and safety. We also provide regular training for all staff to ensure our visitors can enjoy a fun and safe experience.”
The amusement park industry’s own regulatory safety scheme said there was a “technical issue” with a gearbox and that the ride was closed while an investigation took place. A spokesperson with the Met Police also said The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has been informed.
Becky Littlewood, who filmed the video of the ride malfunctioning, traveled from Suffolk to go to Winter Wonderland with her husband and said the security did not want her filming the incident.
According to BBC, Becky said, “We were walking around where the rides were and I really wanted to go on it but my husband said, ‘no, it doesn’t look safe. We watched it for a while and then as we turned around there was a massive bang and it was hanging on the side – two people on the ride were screaming. Then it looked like they tried to reset the ride, as [the boys] were being pulled up into the air. Security came running and started pushing us back, telling us to stop filming. I wont be going to Winter Wonderland again.”
