Girl's feet severed on ride at Six Flags in Kentucky
POSTED: 10:36 p.m. EDT, June 21, 2007
(CNN) -- A girl's feet were cut off Thursday when a free-fall thrill ride malfunctioned at the Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom Amusement Park in Louisville, Kentucky, police said.
A cord wrapped around the 16-year-old's feet and severed them at her ankles while she was on the "Superman Tower of Power," a police dispatcher said. The girl was taken to a local hospital.
"That could have been all of us -- riding that ride," Whitney Sandfer, who witnessed the accident, told CNN affiliate WDRB/WMYO.
The incident took place shortly before 5 p.m. ET, according to Six Flags spokeswoman Wendy Goldberg. The park remained open, but the ride in question was shut down and will remain so until the full investigation is complete, Goldberg said.
During the ride, passengers are lifted to 177 feet, suspended momentarily and then dropped, according to the park's Web site.
Passengers drop 154 feet at 54 mph, stopping "just 20 terrifying feet above the pavement," it adds.
"I seen the car go up. Then, like, the cable broke, I heard -- pwchh -- and I heard a lot of people screaming," Chris Stinnett, who was at a ride next to the Superman Tower of Power, told WDRB/WMYO.
"The cable went under the car -- and I seen it pull up and hit a lot of people -- and I seen them bring their legs up," Stinnett said.
(CNN) -- A teen whose legs were severed in an accident at a Kentucky amusement park has undergone surgery, a park spokeswoman said Friday.
Spokeswoman Carolyn McLean said she has been in touch with the 13-year-old girl's family and believed the girl is still receiving treatment at the University of Louisville Hospital.
Hospital spokeswoman Julie Gordon would not discuss details of the surgery or recovery, citing patient privacy.
The girl's name was not released because she is a minor.
The girl's feet were completely amputated just below the ankle Thursday afternoon while riding the Superman Tower of Power at Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom in Louisville.
Her feet were recovered by Six Flags staff and were sent to the hospital with her, McLean said.
During the Tower of Power ride, passengers are hoisted aloft, suspended momentarily, then pulled down, according to the park's Web site. Passengers -- secured with bars and seat belts but with arms and legs free -- drop 154 feet at 54 mph, stopping "just 20 terrifying feet above the pavement," the Web site says.
A police dispatcher said a cord wrapped around the girl's feet while she was on the ride.
"I seen the car go up. Then, like, the cable broke ... and I heard a lot of people screaming," Chris Stinnett, who was at a ride next to the Tower of Power, told CNN affiliate WDRB/WMYO-TV in Louisville.
"The cable went under the car -- and I seen it pull up and hit a lot of people -- and I seen them bring their legs up," he said. (Watch witnesses describe the accident Video)
"We are not confirming that happened," McLean said. "There was a lot of misinformation from witnesses."
The ride will remain closed until a full investigation by state officials and "our team of experts" is conducted, McLean said.
The inspectors will interview staff members, witnesses and speak with the girl and her family, she said.
"Every ride, every investigation is different," she said.
The rest of the park was operating as normal on Friday. [Reply]
