Teenager Almost Falls Out Of Roller Coaster When Harness Fails Mid-Ride

Worlds of Fun is speaking out after a near-death incident on the park’s Mamba roller coaster earlier this month, when a rider’s safety belt reportedly came undone during the ride’s first major drop.

Worlds of Fun Responds After Roller Coaster Harness Allegedly Fails Mid-Ride

Chris and Cassie Evins say they were sitting directly in front of the girl whose seatbelt failed when they heard a terrifying scream.

“We get on the roller coaster and the very first hill, the girl sitting behind my wife just lets out this blood-curdling scream like I’ve never heard before,” said Chris Evins. “I assumed it was her first time on the ride and then she said my seatbelt came undone.”

The Evins, who are season pass holders familiar with the ride, say they immediately tried to help.“I had looped my arm underneath her lap bar, which had a pretty big gap between her and the lap bar,” Chris explained. “So at this point, I’m seeing a huge space, no seatbelt. I looped my arm underneath the lap bar, and I grabbed a hold of her wrist. My wife was pushing down on her legs.”

As the coaster continued over each hill, Chris said he adjusted his grip to keep her from lifting out of her seat. “Instead of holding her, I started pushing down on her whole body to keep her from coming out of the seat while we were going over those hills,” he said.
The couple managed to keep her secure until the ride came to a stop.

(Is your heart also beating out of your chest while reading this?)

The Park Closed Ride for Inspection

The Evins said they reported the situation immediately after exiting the ride and were told by park management that Mamba would be closed for the rest of the night for inspection.

On Thursday, a Worlds of Fun spokesperson confirmed that the ride was shut down and inspected right away. The park said a full team looked over the ride and made adjustments before reopening it later that evening.

(They re-opened it the same day! Oh my!)
“The ride has undergone a comprehensive safety review, and we have implemented modifications requested by the Fire Marshal to ensure it meets or exceeds all applicable safety standards before it reopens to guests this evening,” the park said in a statement.

The Couple Is Still Hoping to Find the Girl

Chris says he can’t stop thinking about what could have happened if they hadn’t been sitting there. “My whole thought after the incident is, what if it had been somebody else in our seats? What if it was others, her friends? You know, they could have had a drastically different outcome.”
The Evins said they were separated from the girl after the ride ended and never got a chance to talk to her. They’re now hoping to connect with her family to make sure she’s okay.