News: CT shows inspections; MA bans lapbars

Posted at 11:07 AM EDT (1507 GMT)

May. 4th, 2004 -- Connecticut state officials are heading to Lake Compounce to show the public how they inspect rides for safety.  This was done because of several media inquiries as to how they deal with safety.

Lake Compounce is no stranger to fatal events.  Between 1999 and 2001, three people were killed in three separate events involving rides.

This all comes on the heels from when Stanley Mordarsky, 55, was thrown from the Superman Ride of Steel coaster at Six Flags New England.  Since then, the Department of Public Safety in Massachusetts has banned any ride that uses the "t-bar" style lapbar restraint found on rides like Superman Ride of Steel pending the completion of their investigation.

The accident was the fifth involving Intamin restraints.  Just two weeks ago, a 16-year-old girl died when she fell from Hydro, an Intamin River Plunge flume, at Oakwood theme park.  In 2001, a 40-year-old woman fell and died from Perilous Plunge, another Intamin River Plunge flume.  State officials said the restraint system was flawed, but Intamin said that the woman was too large and should not have been let on.  The ride later reopened with additional safety harnesses. 

In 1999, a 12-year-old boy died from a fall from an Intamin free-fall ride, and a man was thrown from another Superman coaster at Six Flags Darien Lake.  The man survived with only minor injuries, and investigators said the restraints worked properly, but cited the possible weight of the man, who was around 300 pounds, in the incident.

For more, visit WTNH and CTNow (requires free registration).

Related: Man dies after fall from Superman