Photo:Wagner/LOCAL NEWS X/TMX/MEGA
Wagner/LOCAL NEWS X/TMX/MEGA
A second break was discovered on the Fury 325 roller coaster at the Carowinds amusement park in Charlotte, North Carolina, weeks after the park closed torepair the ride following a viral video showing the first crack.
According toCNN, the North Carolina Department of Labor said in a statement that another “weld indication” was found while examining the structural integrity of the Fury 325, reporting that it “could be either a break or a crack.”
Carowinds’ Director of Communications, Courtney Weber, said in a statement to PEOPLE: “Carowinds continues to conduct a comprehensive series of detailed tests and inspections in preparation for the reopening of Fury 325. Each step of the process is under careful monitoring, with remedial action taken to ensure the structure’s safety and integrity.”
Webber continued: “We are conducting a full maintenance review of Fury 325 during this testing process. This maintenance review – which is consistent with routine off-season procedures – includes a review of the steel superstructure, the trains, and the ride control system.
“During such reviews, it is not uncommon to discover slight weld indications in various locations of a steel superstructure," explained Webber. “It is important to note that these indications do not compromise the structural integrity or safety of the ride. When such indications are found, we conduct non-destructive testing to determine the appropriate remedy.”
Webber concluded, “Once a repair is completed, it undergoes inspection and approval before the ride is deemed operational. Additionally, as is customary, we conduct test cycles to ensure its smooth operation before guests are allowed on the ride.”
The North Carolina Department of Labor did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.
After a video of a clearly visible crack in the roller coaster went viral last month, the Carowinds' Director of Communications, Courtney Weber, said in a statement to PEOPLE at the time that the park closed on June 30 “after park personnel became aware of a crack at the top of a steel support pillar.”
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“The park’s maintenance team is conducting a thorough inspection and the ride will remain closed until repairs have been completed,” Weber added. “Safety is our top priority and we appreciate the patience and understanding of our valued guests during this process.”
Weber concluded, “As part of our comprehensive safety protocols, all rides, including Fury 325, undergo daily inspections to ensure their proper functioning and structural integrity.”
He toldThe Washington Postthat the children rode the Fury 325 several times throughout the day, but it wasn’t until Wagner returned to the park after getting his vehicle from the parking lot to pick up the kids that he noticed the crack in the ride’s pillar.
“I was like, ‘Y’all need to shut this ride down. That’s bad news,' " he recalled to thePostof what he told a Carowinds employee, whom Wagner claimed had a “lack of urgency.” Subsequently, Wagner flagged other employees, one of whom asked him to send her video of the crack.
“The biggest thing for me,there was no sense of urgency,” Wagner said.
According to Wagner, the ride “could have come unhinged and just went like a steamroller through the parking lot, plowing over pedestrians and cars and anything in its path.”
Once the rollercoaster is repaired, Wagner said he will let his children ride it and told thePost, “It might even be better, safer than it was before.”
The park refers to the Fury 325 as the “tallest, fastest, longest giga coaster in North America,” in a descriptionon its official website.
source: people.com
