Episode 797: Amusement Park Disasters (Volume 2) - Theme Parks

Hey weirdos, I'm Ash. >> And this is Morbid. >> [music]. >> This [music] is Morbid. >> Morbidito. >> This is going to be a morbid one for. sure. >> Is it? >> It is. >> What are you doing? >> Amusement parks disasters part two, baby. >> She takes us here again. She takes us.

here again. I remember last time I went. to Disney and I posted everyone was. like, "Damn, didn't you say you were. never getting on another [laughter]. roller coaster again?". I was like, "No, I trust Disney.". >> Uh the mo-. Okay. >> No. No, don't look at me like that. She. just had the smugest look on her big red. head. >> [snorts]. >> We're doing theme parks today. >> You're doing theme parks? >> Not just amusement parks. >> Oh, goodness. I haven't I haven't been. to I I mean it'll be a while I think. before I go back to Disney cuz I was.

just there. >> Yeah. >> So. >> Um for sure. That's See, you know what. my thing. >> Talk to me. >> I'm realizing more and more that I. and this is not everybody's bag, obviously. I'm just like um a little [ __ ] when it. comes to like not wanting to die. Uh so. >> good. >> I am not one of those people who seeks. risk. >> Mhm. >> in any way, shape, or form. And I'm okay. admitting that. I know that probably. makes me a little boring and that's. fine.

>> I don't think it necessarily makes you. boring. I think you're exciting in. different ways. >> I think it Well, I try to be, but I'm. certainly boring in that way. I think. because I when I say don't seek out. risk, I don't seek out risk in any way. If something is risky. >> No, I know. >> no for me. >> I know that's where we've always. differed. >> Yeah. We differ violently in that. >> My god, I was risky business as a. younger gal. >> been a risky business person. I've. always had a really healthy. maybe unhealthy at times respect for the.

uh for my mortality. >> Your chart in general though like and it. makes so much sense because even just. like even just looking at your big. three, you are a Capricorn sun. So you. are so rooted to this earth you don't. want to go. >> Yeah, no. >> You are a Virgo. uh rising. So. the older you get even less likely you. are to seek that out. And then you're a. cancer. uh moon. So you're like. like you're good where you are.

>> Yeah. >> You know what I mean? Like you like your. home. >> Yeah. >> You like your things. You like your. creature comforts. >> my routines. I like my Yeah. That's how. >> And also like you're not I mean you're a. goat. You're a crab. I forget what represents Virgo. >> A virgin. >> There you go. Not willing to change. >> [laughter]. >> Stubborn and unwilling to change. >> Yeah. That's me. >> Yeah. >> And it's I think finally I've realized. like like I'm like all right, yeah, that's just who I am cuz I've always.

been like I know I just don't like it. and I don't know why blah blah blah. And. then I was finally like I don't I swear. you hit a certain age and you're just. like oh yeah, [ __ ] it. Like cuz I was. just like oh yeah, that's just I'm. boring and that's okay. >> I don't think you should say it like. that though cuz I don't think you are. boring. >> I'm just not risky. >> You're not a thrill seeker. I think. that's what that's what you need to say. >> it is. >> You're not a thrill seeker. >> I have absolu- when I tell you that not. one cell in my body. feels like I need any kind of thrill.

I can't stress it enough. >> Well now no, that's not true. [laughter]. That's not true at all. >> But it no, but like to seek out thrills. I feel like I have thrills. >> but you seek out a different kind of. thrill is the thing. Like I do I. personally I really do think you require. thrills because you love a haunted. house. >> Yeah. >> And you love a scary movie. That in and. of itself is a thrill. It's just a. different kind of thrill. I don't. I think you don't need like. life-threatening thrills. >> No, I absolutely do not. >> And I think some people like.

I also think like. you're a very like. What is the word pragmatic? Like. >> Yeah, that's the word I had in my head. actually. >> analytical. Like you I think you think. of the risks and the. >> Risk reward for me is is big. >> Right. And I don't think necessarily. everybody is as analytical as you or as. pragmatic when it comes to those things. So there it's not that they need like a. like they're not like I would love to. have a life-threatening experience. today. >> freer with with how they think about. >> That's how I feel. Like. >> Which is not a bad thing. That's the.

thing. >> No, I don't think it is either. I think. we're just different. >> this makes me understand. the other side of it a little better. Once I understand cuz I understand my. point of view a little better because. for so long I've been like I don't. understand why you want to do these. things. And I still don't. Like I can't. like put myself in that place to. understand it, but I can sit there and. look at my point of view and go, "Well, it's just the complete opposite point of. view and that's also valid.". >> it is [laughter] valid. Yeah, of course. Whatever you want to do with your body.

as long as you're not harming somebody. else is valid. So like [ __ ] anybody. who's going to give you a hard time. >> Exactly. >> But are are we talking about like thrill. rides right now specifically? >> are that are risky business. >> See, I think a lot of people, myself. included, just are like, "Oh, that'll be. so much fun." And people do that all the. time. Like what's the likelihood of. anything going wrong? Whereas you. actually think about like data. >> [laughter]. >> and like probability and like you're. getting out your marbles from like fifth. grade when we learned about probability. >> Like your thought is, "Oh, what's the.

likelihood that anything could go. wrong?" My point of view is, "There's so. much likelihood that something could go. wrong. There is likelihood.". >> Period. >> Like yours is like, "What's the. likelihood?" And I'm like, "There is, though. Period." And so it's like those. are two it's so funny like the different. ways of thinking. >> What are the odds? And you're like there. are odds. >> And I'm like well the odds exist. >> You're like what if they're not in my. favor? [laughter]. >> Which is crazy. >> See I also just think well and I think. having kids has a lot to do with this.

too. >> Yeah. Like I think I've always been very. I and I think that's probably why you're. even more comfortable like with the way. you are now though because you're like. well I have kids. Yeah. I'm like I've. always been this way and I'm not going. to do be different with humans. >> But I do wonder if I'll feel. different cuz like even when we go to. the beach like if like we go on like a. friend's like boat or something like. that like you don't want them tubing or. like. >> Yeah. >> Like you don't enjoy that and I'm always. like oh like what it's fine I'll go with. them. And I know that makes you feel. better. >> Yeah which like which like I do so like.

cuz I know that that'll be taken as like. Elena doesn't let her kids do anything. but I'll go with them and it's great. >> I what you what Ash is saying is like I. don't love it. >> Like you're scared of the experience. >> them doing it and be like wow how free. and exciting. >> Yeah. My nervous system feels like I'm. being hunted for sport during the whole. thing. I'm always glad I did it because they. had fun and whatever but like I don't. enjoy watching people I love do risky. things. >> Yeah I know you don't. Like I. it's. I'm I'm I'm strange and.

>> But I don't I don't [laughter]. necessarily think you are because I. think a lot of times when people become. moms they they do change like their. their views on a lot of that stuff. So I. wonder cuz like two years ago I'd be. like come on Elena like it's fine. >> Yeah. >> But like the older that I get and like. maybe the closer I get to having kids. I'm like I wonder if I'll feel that way. And I think I might. >> change it a lot. It might it it might. not change it a lot. It might not you. know. Who knows. >> But even like your fear of flying I know. that got so much worse after you had.

Shores. And I know I've heard of a lot. of other people like that happening to. them. Cuz I'm not afraid of flying at all. >> Yeah. But you just feel like you have. like. I always you always have something to. lose obviously but you you feel like. >> It's even bigger. >> an inconceivable amount to lose when you. add kids to the. >> Yeah. It's interesting. >> You know, so So, that's how we feel. about things. >> Yeah, I just I thought it was. interesting cuz some I always go into. this being like, "Fuck this." And which. like I still say, "Fuck this." But. >> See, and I go into this and I'm like,

You're like, "Oh, don't ruin it for me.". >> [laughter]. >> I just don't want you to talk about a. ride I've been on. >> Uh I don't think I will. >> Okay. >> I'm pretty sure. >> All right. I guess we'll see. >> All right. >> Do we have business that we need to say? >> Like buy tickets to Radio City Music. Hall. >> Yeah, buy tickets to Radio City Music. Hall. >> guys, the 27th. Like it's coming up so. quickly. There's still so much to figure. out and we're like stressed, but we're. also so excited. >> Getting the butterflies. >> But we have a really good show for you. >> Oh, and we announced our special guest. >> you listen to this, you will know that. the special guest is the one and only.

Jonathan Van Ness. >> JVN. >> Like. And we also just have the perfect. segment planned with him. >> Yes. >> It is going to be glorious. >> It's going to be hilarious and I can't. wait. >> I can't wait. >> So, there's only a few tickets left. >> Yeah, there's not many. >> So, snatch them up. And um I also posted about um the. Butcher Legacy Tour. >> I'm excited for that. >> in August. That's going to be fun. But. then But get your tickets to some stops. on that because I'll be letting you guys.

know any updates. There might be some. updates to that and all that fun stuff. >> Um and pre-order the Butcher Legacy. >> And we're going to try to get her. to fly soon. >> Yeah, I'll try to get to cuz I know. >> She is really trying. We talked about it. this morning. >> such a moment cuz I I was seeing you. guys be like, "Come to the South. Come. to you know, come to Louisiana. Like. come to California. Come here. Come. here." Yeah. And I was like, "I want. to.". And I And I want to see you and I want. to come sign your books and like do all.

that fun stuff. And I will. >> Yeah. >> I'm going to I'm trying to make it more. of a priority to like fight through the. fear. >> I think you need to get hypnotized. I. really do. >> feel I'm going to try it. I'll try. anything to get on. >> We should find somebody. >> Anybody know anybody? >> Cuz I want to go to Scotland. That's the. next. big thing I want to do. >> We have to get to Scotland. >> Scotland is calling me. So, I feel like. >> I want to pet a Highland cow. [laughter]. >> That's I just. >> And I do realize that I can do that. here. >> But it's different. >> to do it in Scotland, please. >> I just need to land in Scotland because. I feel like the second I step on that.

soil, I'm going to burst into tears. >> Yeah, probably. >> like that's where I'm supposed to be. >> And then maybe never come back. >> just stay in Scotland. >> Just Rosie O'Donnell it. >> So, yeah. There. >> She went to Ireland and is just like, "See you.". >> But yeah, so I'll figure that out. Everybody. >> Everybody in the club going to Scotland. >> There [laughter] you go. I mean, they. have been. [ __ ] taking over Boston. >> I know, and it's been sick. >> Let me tell you, any Scottish listeners, we could not be happier to have you. Could not Boston is trying to figure out.

a way. >> going to say. >> to have Scotland come back every year. >> Yeah, our governor is literally working. on that. >> trying to figure out a way to entice you. to come back every year cuz you have. healed us in a way that I can't. describe. >> Yeah. >> Um so, we love you. >> Let's work on that. >> We love you guys a lot. So, [laughter]. >> Let's split some haggis. >> Let's Let's get to it, shall we? >> I'm nervous for this one. >> This one's crazy. Um so, >> [laughter]. >> You said you should be. >> is wild. Let's Let's start with um.

with Walt Disney, shall we? >> You [ __ ]. >> Uh by the time Walt Disney conceived the. idea of just, you know, a massive park. where, you know, parents and children's. can play together in the world that was. modeled by his like after his creations. >> Yes. >> Amusement parks, or at least something. like amusement parks, were definitely. already part of the landscape around the. world. >> Mhm. >> But what Disney had in mind was. something way more elaborate than like. Coney Island or Knott's Berry Farm.

When it finally opened in July 1955, the. rides and attractions Disneyland had to. offer were definitely a far cry from the. hypermodern rides that were in parks. [clears throat]. today. >> Right. >> that we know. The early rides included. the Disneyland Railroad, which was a. scaled-down version of a locomotive that. carried passengers to various parts of. the park. >> Which they still have. >> Yeah, they got Junior Autopia, a. miniature car race track that operated. on a rail, and the Astro Jets, a. rocket-themed spinning ride that lifted.

passengers into the air to simulate. flying. >> And they still have that, too, in. Tomorrowland. >> Wow. >> It's not called the same thing. It's. called something else. >> Well, the park also included boat rides, a movie theater, animatronic shows, and. the centerpiece of the park, a replica. of Sleeping Beauty's Castle. >> Gorgeous. >> Now, the construction of the castle. alone created a significant amount of. dirt and debris, obviously. But rather. than just like haul it away, the. engineers at Disneyland were like, "Wait. a minute. We could use this stuff to. build other features in the park.".

And in the years that followed, the dirt. from the excavation of the castle site. was gathered together into a massive. mountain used to hide one of the pylons. of the Disneyland Skyway. >> Oh. >> They initially named the massive pile. Holiday Hill, and then it was Lookout. Mountain, and finally, after many design. elements and details were added, it. became the Matterhorn. >> Oh, [ __ ]. >> Named after the mountain in the European. Alps. >> I've never been on the Matterhorn. >> The Matterhorn is a big pile of dirt. Uh. with that mountain complete in 1956,

Walt Disney got a new idea for a new. ride. This one would be designed to. simulate a toboggan ride through a snowy. mountain environment. It was like a. combination between a roller coaster and. a dark ride. The Matterhorn Bobsleds. quickly became one of the park's most. popular rides when it opened in 1959. It was also the world's first tubular. roller coaster, they're called, which. like tubular. >> Hollywood. >> Uh which allowed passengers to go. through tunnels and holes in the. mountain's exterior, like interior,

rather than stay on a singular open-air. track. Now, the first major safety incident at. Disneyland occurred in 1964. on the Matterhorn. >> Long, long ago. >> It was a little before 11:00 p.m. on May. 15th when 15-year-old Mark Maples. boarded the sled with his friends Doug. Gibbs and Gary Pynn. Mark was in the middle seat with his. friend seated in front of and behind. him. The bobsled had reached the top level of. the track at the top of the mountain. It.

was just about to begin the steepest. descent when Mark was thrown violently. from the sled headfirst. and landed beside the lower track. >> Oh. >> Now, when the ride reached the terminal. and the accident was reported, park. attendants refused to believe the story. and assumed the boys were joking. >> I'm sorry, what? >> Yeah. It was only when the two girls. riding in the car behind them confirmed. the story that they rushed to find Mark. in the tunnel and called paramedics. >> Jesus. >> When they found him, he was unconscious.

He was bleeding from several wounds. He. was taken to nearby Palm Harbor. Hospital, but he never regained. consciousness and died from his injuries. 4 days later. >> Oh, that's awful. >> He was only 15. >> Yeah. >> When Mark's friends Doug and Gary were. interviewed, they both claimed they had. no idea what caused Mark to be thrown. from the sled. Gary said, "I was looking. up, heard a noise, looked down, and. recognized Mark's sweater as he was. falling out of the side.". >> god. >> Doug Gibbs was kind of like in the. similar vein. He said, "I felt him bump. into me, but there was no way to tell.

what he was doing. It's a bumpy ride.". According to witnesses, it appeared that. Mark, quote, stood up on the ride. when it was about 1/3 of the way down. the course. Okay. In standing up, Mark's. head hit the one of the concrete beams. on the ceiling of the tunnel. >> Oh. >> knocking him out of the sled and causing. severe head injuries, which were. obviously exacerbated when he headfirst. on the walkway beside the track. The. official response from Disneyland. executives stood in direct conflict to.

the theory that Mark was thrown from the. sled. In their statement, Disneyland. said Mark quote unbuckled his seat. seatbelt and stood up then fell out. >> Okay. >> That's what the witnesses are saying. >> Okay. >> Now on the day of Mark's death, the. Orange County Coroner, James Beisner, opened an investigation to determine the. circumstances of the boy's death and. whether Disneyland execs could be held. responsible. The first step in his. investigation was a visit to the park. and he actually rode the Matterhorn. himself. >> Wow, that was brave.

>> I That would suck. Imagine if I as a. like. if I was like the medical examiner and I. had to go ride a roller coaster too, I'd. be like, "I don't want to do that.". >> No. >> Don't make me do that. >> And especially after seeing a poor young. man who died from his injuries on that. ride. >> Yeah. Now after completing the ride, Beisner determined quote the boy if. strapped in couldn't have fallen out. Okay. In addition to riding the sled. himself, Beisner had two employees about. Mark's size sit in one of the sleds and. attempt to stand or free themselves from.

the sled without unbuckling the belt. Neither of them was able to do it. >> Okay. >> Now according to Mark's friends, nothing. seemed out of the ordinary while they. waited in line to board the ride and. Mark gave no indication that he was. planning to do anything reckless. >> Yeah. >> But in the days that followed, the. deputy coroner, Eugene Miller, reported. receiving multiple phone calls quote. which have indicated the accident. resulted from a hazing. >> Huh. >> When asked about a potential hazing, Doug and Gary did admit that they were.

part of what they referred to as a quote. boys social club. >> Ew. >> Called Phidias, I think it is. >> Okay. >> And two weeks earlier they'd invited. Mark to join, but he declined the. invitation. >> Okay. >> Both denied any involvement in a hazing. that or any other night. >> Okay. >> Now, after the brief investigation, James Brysner concluded Mark Maples'. death was, quote, purely accidental. >> Yeah. >> And a coroner's inquest was ruled out. >> Okay. >> In their statement to the public, the.

coroner's office said, quote, "They found that Maples and two young. companions had been engaged in so-called. horseplay, such as shoving each other, shouting at people, crowding ahead of. others in in the line, and that no proof. has been found that it is part of any. club initiation.". >> Okay. >> Their conclusion was that one of the. boys unbuckled the safety belt, quote, "for no explainable reason," which. ultimately led to Maples' tragic death. >> That's horrible. [laughter]. >> just. horseplay. >> Yeah.

>> Now, Mark Maples' death was just the. first of several incidents in which park. goers were injured or killed as a result. of failing to follow the rules of the. park. In fact, in the years that. followed, there were several bizarre. incidents, including park attendees not. only violating the park rules, but also. violating the law in order to like. impress their friends or like achieve. some sort of like social status or. something. I don't know. >> Right. >> Now, on June 18th, 1966, Disneyland held an all-night graduation. party for the graduating class of a.

local high school. >> The plan was for the park to close to. the public at 11:00 p.m., but remain. open the rest of the night for the. graduating seniors. Can you imagine. that? >> like, I feel like they would not do that. now. >> Oh, no, I don't think they would. >> Yeah. >> And this was 1966. >> Yeah. >> Knowing that the party would be off. limits to anyone outside the class of. seniors and the chaperones, but still. wanting to join his friends for the. party, 19-year-old Thomas Cleveland. hatched a plan to sneak into the park. and join the group, assuming no one was. going to notice that he graduated the.

year before that. >> Okay. [laughter]. >> Now, around 9:20 p.m., Cleveland scaled. the 16-ft fence at the northern edge of. the park. >> That's dedication. >> Yeah. Then climbed one of the pylons in. order to get onto the tracks of the. monorail, which was the train that carries. visitors to and from various parts of. the park. >> Yeah. >> It's unclear what his plan was beyond. that. I guess we can speculate that he. was planning to walk the length of the. tracks until he reached an area where. his friends were gathered, I guess. >> Oh.

>> Whatever the plan was, it was quickly. interrupted when Thomas was spotted by. two security guards who shouted, "Get. down, jump, get off of there.". >> Yeah. >> It must not have occurred to Thomas that. the monorail would still be on operation. as long as the park. >> was open. >> was open or somebody was in there. Because as soon as the guards yelled, he. seemed to realize the danger he was in. But rather than jump to the ground. below, he fell to the fiberglass canopy. between the tracks and tried to conceal. himself from sight. Just as he did that,

the monorail rounded the corner at about. 25 mph and struck him. >> Oh my god. >> instantly. >> Yeah. >> The driver of the monorail, Dallas. Baker, never saw him on the tracks, but. he did say he quote felt a bump after. hitting him. Now, the coroner's office determined. that Thomas Cleveland's death from crush. injuries were was it was purely. accidental and Disneyland was not held. responsible in any way. >> No. >> That said, the coroner's report did. mention that just after Thomas was.

struck by a train, guards saw quote two. other youths who had not scaled the. Disneyland fence running from the area. They were never identified and they were. presumed to just be additional friends. of the graduating class. Now, Thomas Cleveland wasn't the only. person who suffered serious consequences. for trying to sneak into the park. undetected. In June 1973, seven years after Cleveland's tragic. death, 18-year-old Bogdan Delarot and. his 10-year-old brother Dorian attempted. to stay in the park overnight by.

swimming across the Rivers of America. and hiding on Tom Sawyer's Island. >> Oh god, I just think of alligators or. crocodiles. >> Well, and it's located in like that. man-made river. Now, on the evening of. June 22nd, Bogdan and Dorian took the. ferry across to Tom Sawyer's Island and. hid from park security until after the. park closed. >> Okay. >> So, they were on the island. Once they. were certain the park was closed and. assumed everyone had left for the night, they entered the water and started. swimming across to reach the shore. It.

appears that they probably misjudged the. distance from the shore to the island. because it's pretty far. >> Yeah. >> Uh because not long after they entered. the water, Dorian became exhausted and. told his brother he couldn't swim any. further. >> Oh. >> Um I it's so sad. In order In order to. help him, Bogdan told his brother to put. his arms around his neck and he would. carry him across. >> Oh, but then he got exhausted. >> it became clear that his brother's. weight was too much to carry and he too. became tired. Around 10:00 p.m. that. evening, security officers heard.

Dorian's cries for help and took a boat. out to find where it was coming from. It. didn't take long for them to find Dorian. who'd managed to stay afloat by just. like treading water, like doggy paddling. essentially. But Bogdan was nowhere to be found. When they returned to shore, park. security called Anaheim Fire and Rescue. for help. And the following morning, just before 6:00 a.m., Bogdan's body was. discovered, quote, lodged in the rapid. section of the river. >> Oh. >> He had drowned at some point during the. night. >> Oh, that's so sad. >> Now, while incidents like these are very.

rare, obviously, they did continue to. happen at the park. And in 1984, for. example, two drunk visitors stole a. maintenance boat and took it for a ride. on the Rivers of America. >> Hello. >> Not long after leaving the dock, the. boat hit a rock and one of the men was. thrown overboard. >> Oh. >> By the time his friend was able to get. back to shore to help him, his friend is. had drowned. >> Oh man. >> Following the drowning death of the man. who stole the boat, Disneyland managed. to avoid serious accidents and deaths. for nearly 15 years.

And when the next death did occur, it. was not the result of recklessness, but. of negligence on behalf of the park. >> Oh, no. >> On December 24th, 1998. >> Oh. >> uh Luan Phi Dawson and his wife, Lieu. Tuy Vuong, visit were visiting. Disneyland with their young son and were. excited to go on the Columbia, which was. a replica of an 18th century tall ship. that was described as quote one of the. park's tamest rides. As the boat approached the dock, Luan. and the other visitors waited in line.

while an employee threw the mooring line. around one of the ship's cleats, which. is the metal bar where the line is tied. >> Mhm. >> before the boat had stopped moving. Now, with the line tied securely to the. dock, the weight of the ship pulling in. the other direction because it was still. moving, it had not stopped, >> Mhm. >> was too much strain on the cleat and the. bolts holding it down sheared off. No. longer bolted to the ship, the 8-lb, 12-in iron cleat went flying in the. direction of the crowd with tremendous.

force. >> Oh. >> The cleat hit park employee Christine. Carpenter in the leg first, shattering. her foot and breaking her ankle. >> god. >> Then flew into the crowd, striking Lieu. in the face and Luan in the head. >> Oh. >> Yeah. Park employees immediately called. emergency services and the injured were. taken to the hospital for treatment. All. three had suffered serious injuries. Lieu had extensive damage to her face. that caused direct nerve damage and. paralysis.

>> god. >> were way more severe. Uh in addition to. the blunt force injuries to his skull, the impact caused severe brain injuries. and injuries to the blood vessels in his. head. Dr. Richard Kim told a reporter a few. days later that the injuries were both. together made it unlikely he could. survive. >> Yeah. >> By the time he arrived at UC Irvine. Medical Center, Luan was already brain. dead. He was placed on life support in order. to give family time to come to the. hospital and say goodbye. And his. support was ended 11 hours later.

The same day Lieu had extensive surgery. to repair the cuts to the right side of. her face, which mind you was Christmas. day. >> Yeah. >> I That just occurred to me cuz they were. waiting on December 24th in line and the. next day, Christmas, >> their family has to come say goodbye to. him. >> Yeah. >> Oh my god, that poor [ __ ] family. >> Horrific. It's horrific. And in the months after. that, Lieu would have several more. surgeries, but it was unlikely she would. ever regain full control over the right.

side of her face again. >> Wow. >> And following the death, the coroner's. office began an investigation. And an. investigation was also opened by the. Anaheim Police Department. In their. official statement, Disney officials. released a pretty vague statement, clearly intending to avoid, you know, incriminating language of any kind. They. said, "We're checking the Columbia's. mechanical and structural components.". And that was it. In the coroner's investigation, Deputy. Coroner Richard MacAnally uh determined.

that the accident had been caused by the. Disney worker's failure to follow proper. procedure with regard to the ship's. docking. MacAnally wrote in the report, "The. normal procedure when the ship is coming. in too fast is to not secure the mooring. line.". >> Makes sense. >> Um instead, Carpenter should have waited. for the captain to overshoot the dock. and slowly reverse into position at the. dock. >> Right, that makes sense. >> Because she didn't know the captain was. planning to overshoot, she threw the. mooring line around the cleat too soon. and the tension on the rope essentially.

created a high-velocity projectile that. was fired into the crowd. >> Yeah. >> The police investigation into the. accident also revealed somewhat. troubling aspects to the park's approach. to such incidents. Rather than being. taken directly to the scene of the. accident, when a detective arrived at. the park, he was taken to a conference. room. >> [snorts]. >> where he waited for quote a considerable. time before being met by a park. official. By the time he was taken to the accident. site, the entire scene had been cleaned.

up by park staff. and anything that could be collected was. gone. >> Well, that's not good. >> A few days later, the debris from the. accident site, which included the broken. cleat that hit everybody, and two teeth. were located in a dumpster. and turned over to investigators. >> Oh, that's [ __ ] up. >> By the end of the week, the Anaheim. Police Department did conclude that. there was no attempt to destroy evidence. or impede the investigation. Um Lieutenant John Herndon said, "We. determined that Disneyland didn't clean.

it up to destroy evidence of criminal. conduct. They cleaned it up, in my. opinion, because it was unsightly.". >> Yeah. >> Which like that probably was the reason. >> Yeah. >> More like morally to is it is it lovely? No. >> it away to like give to investigators. >> Exactly. You know. >> Don't throw it in a dumpster. >> Two years after the accident, Liu and. her family settled with Disney, but the. terms are not made public. Though it's not nearly as popular we're.

moving away from Disneyland now, don't. worry. >> Uh though it's not nearly as popular. well known as Disneyland, California's. Great America Amusement Park has been a. heavily attended park since it opened in. the mid-1970s. >> I've never been there. >> Like Disneyland and many other parks, they've had their fair share of tragic. accidents over the years. Developed by the Marriott Corporation. and open to the public in the spring of. 1976, Great America was. just trying to capitalize on the growing. popularity of amusement parks and.

compete with the parks like Disneyland. in California and Kings Island in Ohio. >> Mhm. >> Although it never really reached that. level of popularity, Marriott did. successfully open a second park less. than 2 months later and eventually both. were sold to Six Flags. >> Ah. >> Now, among the park's most popular rides. was Willard's Whizzer, a speed racer model steel roller coaster. with a height of 70 ft and a stop and a. top speed of 45 mph. >> Okay. >> Despite being the park's biggest and. most popular attraction, the Whizzer had.

a myriad of problems from the start. Among the biggest issues was the ride's. braking system, >> Oh. >> which would occasionally fail to engage. as quickly or fully as necessary. >> Wow. >> And trains would sometimes bump into one. another at the terminal. >> That feels like a big deal. Feels like a. big one. >> Between the opening of the ride in 1976. and an evaluation in 1979, it was found. that the malfunctions had resulted in 11. reported incidents of injury. But the.

extent of those injuries was not. detailed. >> Hmm. >> The first fatality. occurred on March 29th, 1980. under similar circumstances to those. known to be problems on the Whizzer. >> Mhm. >> That afternoon, 13-year-old Kyle Foss. waited in line with friends, and when. the car train pulled up to the terminal, he and the other passengers were given. the go-ahead to climb on board. Just as Kyle was climbing onto the last. car in the train, a second train pulled. into the station. Although it was only.

traveling between 3 and 6 mph, when the. second train struck the first, the. velocity and weight of the train was. enough to knock Kyle off balance, and he. fell between the two crane trains and. was crushed to death. >> Oh my god. >> Of the six passengers already seated in. the train, three were ejected from the. ride and landed in a pond. >> Oh my god. >> Yeah. >> The thought of being ejected from a. roller coaster. >> Yeah. >> is one of the scariest things. >> me off roller coasters, to be honest.

>> like nothing bad happened to me by any. means, but the Velocicoaster at. Universal goes so [ __ ] fast, and you. go over water, and you're like upside. down, and it's just I thought I was a. cool cool girl who could do cool cool. roller coasters. I can't [ __ ] handle. that one anymore because [laughter] the. thought of being ejected into a cool. cool pond. >> No. >> No. >> No. >> No. [clears throat]. >> I can't see, that's my problem. I can't. The The possibility is there. So, I'm. out. >> I can't really [ __ ] with water near.

rides. [clears throat]. >> No. It's It's a no for me. >> Which like you would think like the. thought of like plummeting to the ground. is much worse, which like obviously it. is, but something about like a ride that. goes like through the water or like. something like that. >> like a plane People on a plane they say. that they're more scared to fly over the. ocean. >> Yeah. >> than land when like in reality. >> Which one would be a safer landing. Yeah. >> not supposed to really be in it. >> No, I know. That's the thing. >> [laughter]. >> Like we know it somewhere in our souls.

>> It's true. But so in their response to. this tragedy, officials from Great. America were surprisingly terse. Uh after confirming the death, the park. released an official statement to the. press that read simply, quote, "In order. to avoid possible conflicting. information, unnecessary speculation, and any further confusion, we will not. have any further comment at this time.". >> Oh. >> Whether they wanted it to or not, speculation quickly followed. >> Just going to say. >> And many started to blame the ride's.

braking system for the accident. Speaking on the condition of anonymity, one park employee told a reporter, quote, "Two systems had to break down. for this to occur. The odds against that. must be astronomical.". >> Yeah, I would think so. >> After a 2-month investigation into the. cause of Kyle's death, the park reported. that, quote, "Nothing was was wrong with. the Wizard and none of its systems had. malfunctioned.". >> Not true, though. >> Despite that, vice president of the. park, Jay Robert Schultz, went on to. say, quote, "A false electrical signal.

made the Wizard's safe safety system. think it was holding a train in an. automatic braking system. At almost the. same moment the real train signaled that. it was coming into the same braking. system. So, that's a problem. The. specifics of the explanation are like a. little difficult to follow. >> They are. >> But, essentially. when the system realized it had to made. a mistake, it released the braking. system to clear out this fake train that. it thought was there exactly as the real. train was coming into the station.

The fluke caused the system to be opened. right when the real same train pulled. into the station. >> Mhm. >> Although the braking system did catch. the mistake, it only managed to slow the. train down before it hit the car. >> Right. >> was climbing into. >> Right. >> The entire accident unfolded in like. less than 3 seconds. >> Wow. >> In the aftermath of Kyle's death, the. ride underwent several upgrades to its. safety systems and seat belts were added. to the cars. >> I feel like seat belts should always be. in the cars.

>> Kyle's parents filed suit against. Marriott asking $11 million in damages. The result of that suit is unknown. >> Okay. >> With the exception of an accidental. drowning at the water park in 1989, Great America managed to avoid any. catastrophes for almost two decades. >> Wow. >> Until a bizarre accident put them back. in the spotlight in 1998. Now, around 2:30 p.m. on September 7th. 25-year-old Hector Mendoza, his wife of. two months, and his brother-in-law rode.

the Top Gun roller coaster, now called. Flight Deck. >> Okay. >> During this this experience, Hector's. baseball cap was blown off his head and. landed somewhere on the ground below. After getting off the ride, the three. decided to retrieve the hat. So, they either climbed or otherwise got. past the security fence around the. perimeter of the ride. either ignoring or possibly not. understanding the sign ordering visitors. to stay out. >> Okay. >> The area would have been dangerous. regardless of the model of the ride, but.

as an inverted roller coaster in where. like passengers hang from the rail and. the seats, the danger was much greater. here. >> Yeah. >> It didn't take long for Hector to find. his hat, but just as he went to pick it. up, the coaster came around the corner. and Hector was struck in the head by the. dangling foot of a passenger. The force of the blow killed Hector. and it also broke the passenger's leg. >> Oh my god. >> Yeah. >> Holy [ __ ]. >> The day after the incident, park. inspectors tested the ride and.

determined that Top Gun, quote, in no. way malfunctioned or experienced any. other problems. A spokesperson, Tim Shannon, told. reporters, "This was a case of somebody. that had entered an area off-limits to. park guests. We aren't entirely sure how. Mr. Mendoza got into the area, but he. went through a clearly marked gate and. over a 6-ft locked fence marked with. bright red warning signs. That's. according to them.". >> Sure. >> Now, although the situation seems. straightforward, Hector's family. described things differently.

A lawyer speaking on behalf of the. family said, quote, "The gate and the. fence was either open or wide enough to. go through very easily. There was no. climbing or jumping on the fence.". >> Okay. >> The discrepancy started a public dispute. between the family and the Great and. Great America. In response to their. claims, Shannon gave another public. statement explaining, "Two of our. employees were the first to respond to. the incident and the first thing they. had to do to get to the victim was. unlock the gate.". In fact, the investigation by Santa. Clara police backed up his version of.

events. Uh Sergeant Anton Marek said the. first maintenance person tried to unlock. the gate, but didn't have the right key. They had to wait for the second. maintenance person to arrive. >> Okay. >> What's bizarre, cuz I'm sure you're. like, "Where's the bizarre part about. this?" This is tragic and sad. It's very. sad. >> A week after the accident, it was. reported that the man everyone had. identified as Hector Mendoza was not who. he seemed to be. The identification had. been made based on interviews with the. family and the man's documents found in. his wallet.

However, they turned out to be fraudulent and the. real Hector Mendoza was alive and living. in Mexico. >> What? >> who died at Great America was eventually. identified through fingerprints as. Suarez Robles. >> What? >> Following the identification, his body. was released to his family who returned. to bury him. >> What? >> Isn't that. >> Just what? So like the family fighting. and saying like no like that the gate.

was open? >> know what became of that. >> Was a man who's who was alive's family? >> so. >> What? >> Yeah. Isn't that just bizarre? >> Yeah. >> But it's like. >> I didn't know where you were going with. that. >> Yeah. And I feel bad for the the woman. whose leg hit this person as well. Like. obviously I hear I feel horrible about. the person who died. >> Yeah, duh. >> Suarez, but I feel like the person whose. foot leg hit his head and he died. >> Yeah, that's. >> And then her leg broke in the process.

So it's like to have to deal with all of. that, the emotional [clears throat] and. physical toll of all of that. >> Right. >> The whole thing is just bizarre and sad. You're like, holy [ __ ]. >> That's so weird. >> And so avoidable. You're like, oh I wish. somebody had stopped them. >> Yeah, I know. That's the thing. >> Like oh, it's just a really wild one. >> Yeah, that's wild for sure. >> Now, the operators of Great America had. been fortunate to experience a very. large gap between the deaths of Kyle. Foss and of Suarez Robles. The next. tragedy though occurred less than a year. later and this time it wasn't the result.

of any kind of like reckless behavior. >> Okay. >> On the afternoon of August 22nd, 1999, 12-year-old Joshua Smurfit and his. family were winding down their visit to. Great America when they decided to ride. Drop Zone. It's a free fall like tower ride where. riders are taken to the top of a. 224-foot. tower and then dropped. Those are like. some of my favorite rides. Could not pay. me. >> those rides. After settling into the. four-seat coach, the ride attendant.

checked the seal safety harness on each. rider and confirmed they were all locked. in place. Then the car began its ascent. to the top of the tower. When the car. reached the 207-foot mark, it began its. first big drop, at which point Joshua. slipped out of the seat. >> [sighs and gasps]. >> and [snorts] fell 20 stories to the. ground below. >> Oh my god. >> As his family watched in horror from the. waiting area. According to spokesperson Tim Shannon, the harness was checked and locked. before the coach started. We simply.

don't know what happened. >> That's not settling. >> That said, he did acknowledge that. Joshua was among the last of the riders. that afternoon as the ride was being. taken out of commission for what they. referred to as an unrelated maintenance. problem. >> Uh. >> with one of the other cars. >> Okay. >> there is absolutely no way it could have. contributed to the accident. >> Okay. >> During a months-long investigation into. the incident, it was determined that the. ride had not malfunctioned during the. ascent or descent.

And they determined there was no problem. with the safety harness itself. >> But then how did he fall out of the. [ __ ] ride? >> Unfortunately, for all the things the. investigation ruled out, experts were. unable to identify how Joshua had. managed to fall out of that safety bar. Still, the investigation did raise. serious concerns about potential. violations that could have contributed. to his death. Among other things, the. 900-page incident report describes, quote, poor training procedures and.

other potential problems at the park. One of those problems was that the ride. attendant working the drop zone that day. was 14 years old. >> Oh my god, what? >> Yes. And the other attendant who checked. the safety harness was 16. >> No. Like I'm sorry. I'm not putting my life. in the hands of a 16 and 14-year-old. >> How are you supposed to know? You're not. going to be like, "Excuse me, how old. are you?" Like if I if I knew. >> not going to be like, "Excuse me, how. old are you?" Like that's.

>> Holy [ __ ]. That is. That would send me. I'd be like, "And. we're not riding that ride." Like if I. if I knew. >> was not found to be malfunctioning, but. was it secured properly? We don't know. Is the question. >> Oh, wow. Yeah. Oh, and he's 12 years old. >> And his family watched that. These are. These are so awful. >> In response to her son's death, Joshua's. mother, Tammy, said she had no plans to. sue the park. Nor did she believe that.

they were solely responsible. She later said, "All I can say is. treasure every moment with your child. because you never know when you might. lose him.". >> Oh. >> Joshua's father did not rule out a civil. suit. He said, "I'd like to see this. report before I speak about it.". But he uh lawyer on behalf of Terry, the. father, said, "But I'll say this, if the. child were strapped in properly, the. accident wouldn't have taken place. It's. a matter of grad- gravity.". >> Right. >> Ultimately, they did choose not to sue.

Great America. >> Big people. >> Big people. Now, the relatively limited number of. accidents and deaths at parks like. Disneyland and Great America and is due. in large part in- to like really high. safety standards. >> Yeah, of course. >> Um but in the history of amusement parks. and theme parks, there's one name that. is so notorious for low standards that. the risk of injury associated with part. with the park actually became part of. its allure during its 20 years in. operation. I've never heard of this.

>> Tell me. >> This is. insane. >> What was it called? >> Oh, I'm going to tell you. >> Okay. >> In 1976, New Jersey businessman Eugene. Mulvihill was looking for a way to make. money during the off-season when his. Vernon Township, New Jersey ski resort, Vernon Valley, was closed. Inspired by the success of parks like. Disney and Six Flags, he found a new. company called Great American. Recreation, and in May 1978, he opened. Action Park in Vernon.

>> I get so many TikToks about Action Park. >> Yes. Now, Mulvihill's son, Andy Mulvihill, said before he opened Action Park, he. had no experience of any kind running an. amusement park. He said in contrast to Disney's. carefully conceived fantasy lands, my. father pieced together a series of. ambitious and often ill-advised. attractions on the side of a ski. mountain in rural New Jersey that he had. come to own virtually by accident.

>> That's That's quite a That's a That's a. hefty statement. >> Yeah. At first, the park amounted to. little more than a few go-kart tracks. and miniature racing rides, but he. quickly expanded to include water rides, boat rides, and musical shows like those. at larger parks, but on like a smaller. budget. In almost no time at all, Action. Park grew from a few hundred visitors in. its first season to millions in the year. or two that followed. Andy said, "We went from selling. off-brand soda and taking out local. newspaper ads to getting a Pepsi.

sponsorship and seeing our logo on. McDonald's tray liners.". >> Wow. >> The key to Action Park's notoriety was. in Mulvihill's own theories about. American society in the late 20th. century. Andy said, "My father seized upon the. idea that we were all tired of being. coddled, of society dictating our. behaviors and lecturing us on our. vices.". In order to reject that supposed. coddling, Eugene embraced risk as part of his. brand, which is. is a nightmare to me.

>> Yeah, like, what? >> He wasn't embracing his risk, he was. embracing other people's risk. that. >> allowed when you own an amusement park? Well, rather than strap riders into the. boat on a wave pool, visitors would. simply have to cling to the raft. less they be thrown from the boat. Likewise, riders on an Alpine slide. style ride weren't confined to a track. They could control the speed of their. car and its brakes. >> Wow. >> Of course, with a guiding principle. based on increased risk rather than. safety and family fun, it was only a.

matter of time before someone got hurt. >> Yep. >> Andy said, "It was not long before our. visitors reworked our advertising to. better reflect their experience." That. new informal slogan, Action Park, where. you're the center of the accident. >> Oh my god. >> The first serious accident came in 1980, just 2 years into the park's operation. In July, 19-year-old George Larson was. riding the Alpine Sled ride at the park. when about halfway down the slide, he. was thrown from the car he was riding.

in, rolled down an embankment to landing. 25 ft away, and smashing his head on a. rock in the ground. >> Oh my god. >> crews arrived a short time later, Larson. was unconscious, and soon he lapsed into. a coma. He died a few days later on July. 16th. >> That's an awful way to go. >> family and friends contend that the lax. safety protocols at the park were. entirely responsible for George's death, but Mulvihill and Action Park. spokespeople saw it a different way.

Spokesperson Wesley Smith told. reporters, "This is an action park where. people are doing physical things to. themselves. Their situation is not. totally in our control.". But Smith went a step further in denying. any responsibility saying, "The ride. didn't injure Larson, it was a rock 25. ft away that hurt him. That same thing. could have happened to someone falling. off a bicycle.". >> How did they get insurance for this? >> I. >> [laughter]. >> She smiles. >> Now, despite Smith's assertion that.

George Larson knew the risks of the ride. and had in fact ignored several safety. warnings, others at the park were far. less convinced it was operator error. >> Yeah. >> In an investigation into the accident by. the office of workplace and compliance. at the State Department of Labor, investigators spoke to several park. employees who had previously voiced. concerns about public safety at the. park. And on that slide specifically, one of. the summer attendants said, "We knew. something would happen. It could have. been any of us.". >> Oh my god.

>> According to the report, there was no. controls over the cart's speed on the. concrete track, and any number of. factors, including whether the concrete. was wet, could affect how the car. performed, none of which was taken into. consideration by the park. The park was cited for seven violations. of safety standards, including having no. access road for emergency vehicles to. arrive. >> You got to be [ __ ] kidding me. >> But ultimately, George's death was ruled. an accident. >> Wow. >> Now, in the weeks and months that.

Larson's death, reports of injuries. began to pile up. Uh Andy Mulvihill, remember, Eugene's. son, said they careened down towering. water slides that spit them into shower. pools at such velocity that sometimes. overshot and landed them in the dirt, laughing or bleeding, sometimes both. They often lost their grip on swinging. ropes and plunged into the freezing. mountain. They emerged from lakes. stinking of spilled diesel fuel from the. overworked motor motor boats. >> This is a nightmare. [clears throat].

>> Repeat visitors stuffed their pockets. with Band-Aids and sported scabs and. scars along their arms and legs. And yet none of those injuries seemed to. keep people from attending the park. >> This feels like like an episode of. Jackass. >> Yeah. Like truly. On the contrary, the rumors of. heightened risks seemed to be one of the. reasons people were so enthusiastic to. come in the first place. >> Mhm. >> Then in the summer of 1982, 2 years. after George Larson's death, it happened. again. In late July, 15-year-old George Lopez.

drowned in one of the wave pools. That. same week, two men filed civil suits. against the park alleging serious injury. suffered on a water slide 2 years. earlier. Then in August, 27-year-old. Nathan Laingenthal collapsed while. riding the whitewater kayak experience. Laingenthal was rushed to the hospital. but was pronounced dead when he arrived. In a statement to the press, Action Park. spokesperson Diane Bochamp said, "There. are reports of a possible electric.

shock, but no evidence of electrical. malfunction has been found at the ride. yet." Hello? Despite the park's repeated. denials that Laingenthal's death was due. to their negligence, the Orange County, New Jersey coroner determined that. Nathan's cause of death was, {quote}. heart failure by electrocution. >> What the [ __ ]. >> Still, Action Park refused to. acknowledge reality saying they tested. all 11 fans that produced the waves and. everything was in perfect working order. >> Something has to be wrong.

>> Yeah. Uh operations manager Adam Ringler told. a reporter, "At this point, there's. absolutely no malfunction. We would say. it's not electrocution at this point.". >> But like. >> There's nothing wrong with the ride. >> Bro, you can't argue with the coroner. You can't argue with the coroner. >> Like. You're an operations manager at. >> Kooky kooky amusement park with no. safety standards and you're telling the. coroner you are wrong. >> It's like in Widow's Bay, the doctor. that's always just like, "Where did you. go to medical school?". >> I love that guy.

>> Are you sure it's not an animal wound? Does it look like it could be an animal. wound? No, not to me. >> [laughter]. >> So funny. >> Watch Widow's Bay, everybody. >> Oh, you got to. I watched it all in one. day. >> So good. Um. >> [clears throat]. >> so yeah, in the state's investigation of. the ride, however, investigators. discovered a short circuit in one of the. fans. >> Imagine that. >> Action Park said no problems. >> Yeah, of course not. >> Although they could not definitively say. that was what caused the death, they. acknowledged it was likely what caused. the electrocution. >> think. >> In response to the coroner's report,

Eugene Mulvihill said there was nothing. wrong with the ride and he had no marks. on him. He probably had some kind of. stroke or something. Again, >> Guys, where did you go to medical. school? >> coroner, whose job is to determine cause. of death by actually looking inside of. his body, said the cause of death was heart. failure by electrocution. >> Eugene said, "Nah, it's a stroke.". >> Do you understand how different heart. failure and a stroke are? >> Yes. >> Those are two different parts of the. body, babe. >> They sure are.

>> Now, despite the near constant injuries. to park goers, the popularity of Action. Park continued to grow. Day after day in the park's wave pool, swimmers were pummeled by waves that. were stronger than they should have been. for an amusement park. >> Wow. >> Uh Andy Mulvihill said, "When the waves. hit, their force caught our guests. unprepared." Powered by the insulation. sucking fans, the wave struck with the. same violent menace originally meant to. create a mini a series of mini. shipwrecks. >> What? >> Yeah. >> The [ __ ].

>> In fact, if there was any attraction. more notorious for causing injuries at. the park, it was the water slides in the. wave pool. In August 1984, 20-year-old Donald. DePass drowned when he was {quote}. overcome by the water after rocketing. from a 10-ft high water slide into the. pool. >> Holy [ __ ]. >> In response to the death, um. [clears throat] our guy Adam Ringer. there said told reporters it was {quote}. a simple drowning. And the lifeguards were adequately. trained. >> Okay. >> However, several park goers were less.

convinced, including one man who told a. reporter the lifeguards on duty {quote}. definitely need a little more help. >> We That's one thing that you don't want. your lifeguard to need is help. >> Is more help. >> Yeah. >> A few years later in the summer of 1987, another death occurred when 18. >> stay open for so long? >> Well, this was when 18-year-old Gregory. Grandchamps drowned in the wave pool. As. always, the park went on the defensive. Marketing director Vernon Merritt said,

"There was no indication that the wave. had anything to do with it.". >> But he drowned? >> This There's actually like a pretty big. indication of that. >> So, yeah. >> When you're drowning in a wave pool. >> Mhm. >> Yeah, he also. called the the death a quote basic. drowning. Yeah. Although they were not held liable for. the death, during their investigation, the prosecutor's office discovered that. after being pulled from the pool, lifeguards didn't attempt any. life-saving actions like CPR.

>> Aren't they literally trained to do. that? >> That's part of their job. >> Yeah. >> When asked about that fact, Merritt. simply said, quote, "We're not quite. sure why he was not resuscitated.". >> Okay. >> I'd ask is everyone okay there, but I. know the answer is absolutely not. >> To answer, IDK. >> We're not real sure why they didn't try. to save his life. >> Like what? >> Why Why the. >> lifeguards. >> did not attempt to resuscitate his life.

>> Yeah. >> [ __ ]. >> Despite the park's. wild popularity, by the late 1980s, state and local officials had grown kind. of tired of the constant lawsuits, the. constant injuries, and the constant. deaths related to activities at Action. Park. Andy Mulvihill said the state of. New Jersey had never seen anything like. it and had little idea how to control. it. My father loomed large in the small. town of Vernon, keeping hundreds of. people employed and using his political. savvy, as well as his sometimes.

questionable legal means, to make sure. his passion project remained afloat. >> this kid just reading his father's. filth. >> Action Park remained open for 20 years. despite injuries being a near hourly. occurrence, >> His His son said. >> 20 years this place was open? >> Finally, in 1996, the year Ash Kel came. >> I said, "Shut it down." Shut [laughter]. it down. >> She said, "Shut it down, everybody.". >> "I like a safe amusement park.". >> Action Park was forced to close. >> Period. >> Not as a result of accident or death,

but because the company's creditors. forced them into bankruptcy when they. learned that they were not carrying any. liability insurance. >> So, that's why you smiled at me when I. asked that. >> I was sitting here being like, "How the. [ __ ] would any insurance company sign on. to to rep this place?". >> Exactly. In the years since the park's closure, more information has come to light that. explained at least in part some of the. problems experienced at Action Park in. the 20 years. In addition to limited testing of new.

rides, the development of those rides. was often undertaken by complete. non-experts. >> Oh, good. >> And they were almost always built on. very small shoestring budgets where. corners were constantly being cut. >> Fantastic. >> also a serious problem with training. Many, if not most of the park's. employees, were just local teenagers who. received completely inadequate training. on the operations of the rides, safety. protocols, life-saving techniques. But more than anything else, it was. likely the libertine attitude of the. park itself that contributed to the.

accidents. With a park built on a quote, "Enter at your own risk" ideology, patrons and employees were almost. encouraged to behave recklessly. >> Yeah. >> Without regard for their own safety, much less the safety of anyone around. them. >> Mhm. >> Uh Andy Mulvihill said, "That approach. made us national news. The New York. Times called our father's creation the. area's most distinctive expression of. the amusement park in our age. They also. called it a human zoo. Both of things.

were true." That's what his son said. >> A human zoo? >> Which it kind of is. >> I mean, that's like. >> Like you're seeing people at their most. base behavior. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. >> Like truly. >> Yeah. >> In reflecting on his father's creation. and its legacy of risk and chaos, Andy. Mulvihill summed up Action Park like. this. It was a place that admitted anyone, misfits to clergymen, rich and poor, young and old, and told them it was. theirs to do with as they pleased. Never. again would they have such freedom in. their lives, but the price for its.

success was sometimes paid by visitors, not all of whom came out alive. >> Wow. I feel like America kind of feels like. Action Park right now. >> It absolutely does. >> Yeah. >> That's a absolutely. >> Yeah. We are. >> Actually Action Park right now. And we. got to get. >> Cuz that quote, [clears throat] I was. just like, "Uh huh.". >> [laughter]. >> He was like, "Never again in their. lives." I was like, "Ah, if they made it. this far.". >> [snorts]. >> They'll they'll see it again. >> Yeah, life kind of feels like a human. zoo. >> That that is um.

amusement parks, part two. >> Period. >> Wowza. >> Yeah. So, those are some crazy ones. >> Well, I'm happy that I've never gone on. any of those rides. >> Nope. >> Um and they don't really exist. No, I would I would not be. I would not be trying to go to Action. Park. I don't. I like safety precautions. >> I like a thrill. >> I love safety [laughter] precautions. >> I like a thrill with a safety precaution. in. >> backing it up. >> place.

>> You know, that's that's what I don't. love a thrill, but I love safety. precautions. >> But you like a haunted house scary movie. thrill. >> Yeah. Yeah. >> A thrill that does not cause me bodily. harm. >> Yes, yes, yes. Wow. All right. Well, that was a fun. episode. >> Pretty intense. >> to give us a fun fact? >> Yeah. >> I guess I got to get a goddamn fun fact. >> All right. Cows have regional accents. And they form tight friendships and get. depressed if they're separated. >> So, cows over here are just being like,

"Moo, kid.". >> "Moo, [ __ ] Get out the way.". >> [laughter]. >> I then in England they're like "Moo, bitch.". "Moo, you little swap.". >> Yeah. >> I love that. >> with it. Funny cuz this all just came. full circle. I'd like to pet a Highland. cow. >> There you go. >> I cannot do a Scottish accent though I. am quite Scottish. >> Yeah. >> I've never been able to. >> Never been able to. >> Like I really only do British and. Southern. >> It's It's a hard one to do. >> I got three accents and that's it. >> [laughter].

>> All right. We love you. We hope you keep. listening. >> And we hope you. >> keep. >> it. >> weird. >> But not so weird that you separate cows. [music] and it makes them sad. >> Yeah. >> And then they have to moo in their. different languages. >> Or have really no safety protocols at a. park you open. >> Yeah, open a safe park if anything. [music]. >> Yeah, or just don't open one. We have. enough. We have enough. It's fine.

>> [music]. [music]. [music]. [music]. [music].

[music]. [music]. [music].

>> Mhm.