rollercoaster crash at alton towers

[SoljaBonita]

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-32980354?ns_mchannel=social&ns_campaign=bbc_breaking&ns_source=twitter&ns_linkname=icf

[HollyJollyDillydolly]

How terrifying. Hoping the injuries are not serious.

[EdithWeston]

I hate roller coasters, but have teens which love them. This accident has just horrified me, and thoughts and prayers to all involved.

[Foreverconfused]

wardenessofthenorth have you heard from your brother and sister in law yet ?

[poppym12]

I really hope everyone involved makes a good recovery and that the wretched thing is now closed for good.

[Nicknacky]

vivienne That's a bit of an over reaction, it is rare for there to be accidents at theme parks.

I've been in smiler about four time and been there when they have closed it for technical reasons. If anything, I felt reassured that they are quick to close the rides and ensure they are safe.

[TwinkieTwinkle]

I had a terrible experience at Alton Towers years ago on Air. Our seats weren't fully back into the 'lock' position and they started running the ride anyway. Only stopped it just before we left the area you get on as someone signalled to them. My Auntie also had trouble with her harness not being in properly on Nemesis, they didn't notice. Admittedly that was years ago but given this accident it really doesn't sound like their safety procedure is up to scratch.

[queentroutoftrouts]

nicknack would you be saying that if it was you or your child stuck on it or injured? Doubt it.

[queentroutoftrouts]

Maybe they should ensure it is safe before they put people on it in the first place ay. Accidents are not a rare occurrence with this particular ride.

[Northernlurker]

The bbc report is now saying the 4 seriously injured are teenagers and they are still on the ride. Hope they get them out and down soon.

[TwinkieTwinkle]

Poor kids, must be terrifying. I've been on a ride that broke down and that was unnerving enough. Being on one that has crashed, with people injured must be downright terrifying. Especially being strapped in and unable to help those around you. I really hope everyone is ok.

[WardenessOfTheNorth]

Forever no not yet. They wouldn't be part of the 4 teenagers as they are mid 20's.

Me and my sister still trying their phones.

[Northernlurker]

Alton Towers have set up a number for relatives - 0800 230 0770 - is what was reported on the Telegraph site.

[Notso]

Poor people, what an awful thing to happen.

The Alton Towers staff have always been really vigilant in my experience.
However the smiler seems to have had an awful lot of technical problems.
It was closed once when we were there and you could see some maintenance men bolting the track back together. It does appear to be a very complex ride though. DD and DS1 love it.

[Northernlurker]

My kids had a great time. Dd1 wanted to go back some time with mates as well. They thought it was hilarious that I wouldn't go on roller coasters and spent the day in Cbeebies land etc with dd3.

[Nicknacky]

queen Do you mean I would be wanting the whole of Alton towers to be closed forever? If there was clear neglect and lack of concern for safety procedures then possibly but in my experiences there, that isn't the case. And I have been stuck on rides there. H was stuck for 30 mins on Rita in October.

There have been incidents involving loose objects with this ride but I believe it is the first crash, albeit that's not great as it's only been open 2 years.

I'm going back to AT in three weeks again.

[queentroutoftrouts]

No i was commenting on the fact that you said that you felt reassured that they are quick to close the rides, in my opinion i would be thinking of the reason that they keep closing in the first place and then incidents like this occurring.
Anyway this isn't the time or the place to have an argument about it, i just hope that the riders recover well suffer no long term effects from their ordeal.

[Nicknacky]

Who is arguing?

I stated I felt reassured that there systems appeared to indicate issues and they were always quick to act on them. Compare that to M&D's in Scotland where they put large bottles of water strapped into the empty carriages to balance it out, then yes I felt reassured!!

[passmethewineplease]

Hope everyone recovers OK. Must be terrifying.

I detest the way Sky news are zooming in on a poor guy who is blatantly out cold. Just don't need to see it.

[ElleyBear13]

Oh goodness! How awful been to AT a couple of times now and never had any issues with safety, I also went on the smiler several times on my last visit and I loved it! However when I went to flamingo land many years ago on a school trip, my friends and I ended up stuck at the highest point on one of their rides (mad mouse?) for 40 minutes and that was terrifying! It must be awful for everyone stuck up there.

[WardenessOfTheNorth]

DB and SIL were swimming! Back at their lodge safe and sound. They didn't even know what happened!

Hope the people in there get down safe and they recover quickly

[manicinsomniac]

Shocking incident and obviously very distressing for all involved.

But I think it's OTT to be calling for the closure of the ride (or even the whole theme park!!) at the moment. These rides run 100s of times a day and are almost always fine. I take a school trip there every year and have never worried - the attention to health and safety is excellent.

These things make headline news because they are incredibly rare. Nobody calls for the suspension of all air flight or the permanent closure of the M25 when there are serious incidents on planes and cars.

[AnyoneForTennis]

Read the thread, it's not rare.... Just unreported

[VivaLeBeaver]

Why on the photo in the daily mail website are the faces of some of the people on the roller coaster blurred and others aren't?

[TheBobbinIsWound]

So very sad.

I was reading that the media contacted Gerstlauer around 4pm (they're the German mega costar giant who designed and built Smiler) but the company had, at that time, not been informed of the accident.

I am an absolute coaster fiend. I think like many earlier posters said, you do really just take safety for "granted" at a tussauds/merlin theme park.

I've riden the smiler about 15 times.

My brain is remembering a time where on that coaster We were "held" at the bottom of the second winch system because the coaster before us on the section we were about to ride hadn't come in. (that ride has 2 "halves" winch up and ride, then winch up and ride) it has sensors galore telling me that sending off a coaster when the track isn't clear must be very difficult. Either the reset of the system immediately before the accident (it was suffering "technical difficulties") affected the monitoring/sensors which is supposed to ensure that the operators can't make those mistakes or it really was gross negligence and someone overrode... But I just can't believe that's possible.

I feel desperately sorry for all of those involved and I hope that the injuries are being up played by the media.

[TheFirstOfHerName]

I think that one of the carriages was an empty 'test' carriage, so perhaps it didn't show up on the system in the same way? I found Smiler to be a very extreme ride. It is trying to fit a lot of loops into what seems like quite a small area.