Amusement Park Ride Ends in Disaster

James Burrchett, 41, and his 13-year-old son Ryan were trapped on the ride for almost five hours after the large wheel which held passenger cars fell to the ground and came to rest in a vertical position. They were among the last riders rescued late Monday at Adventure Amusement Park, which is located about 40 miles north of Grand Rapids, Michigan. Jennifer Burtchett, James’ wife, noted that her husband had blood on the back of his head and that her teenaged son was bleeding from his ear when they were removed from the ride. The father and son were in stable condition as of Tuesday and were treated for minor injuries.

The park’s vice president, Camille Jourden-Mark noted that, "Nothing like this has ever occurred here, ever." She went on to say that each of the park’s rides are inspected daily and that those responsible for maintaining the rides found no problems with the ride during that inspection. Despite that assurance, some park-goers noted that they had been on the ride earlier in the day when it malfunctioned, causing it to be temporarily shut down.

Of the 31 park-goers who were taken to hospitals, 28 had been released as of Tuesday morning, apparently with no serious injuries. The near-disaster is still under investigation and no lawsuits have yet been reported in conjunction with the incident.