SANTA CRUZ — After a carnival ride at the Ohio State Fair broke apart and killed a passenger and hurt others Wednesday night, the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk decided to close a similar ride indefinitely.
As the Fireball ride was in action at the fair, a section that holds four riders snapped off, ejecting two people who careened toward the ground. The impact killed 18-year-old Tyler Jarrell of Columbus, Ohio.
Boardwalk spokesman Kris Reyes said park officials decided to voluntarily close its Fireball ride within an hour of the Ohio incident, which is manufactured by Netherlands-based KMG as well.
Shortly after, the Boardwalk received notice from the state’s Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) that all owners of similar rides across the state must cease operation.
On Friday, Reyes said Fireball is closed indefinitely, and there is no timeline on when it will reopen.
“We are currently waiting to hear from the state to hear what the next steps are,” he said.
Fireball, which sits 24 people, swings riders on a large pendulum up to 65 feet.
Despite being built by the same manufacturer, the Ohio ride is portable, meaning it is meant to be transported to numerous events in various locations. The Boardwalk’s version, meanwhile, is permanent, and is fixed in one location.
Fireball, which opened at the Boardwalk in 2003, has a “very clean safety record,” Reyes said, adding that it has never had any issues that warranted closing it other than for routine maintenance.
Like all rides at the Boardwalk, Fireball goes through a rigorous inspection process, he noted, with rides inspected daily, weekly, monthly and yearly under safety protocols established by Cal/OSHA. In addition, state officials also perform annual inspections, as well as unannounced inspections, Reyes said.
Also, state law requires the park to have a third party inspection of the rides.
“California has the most stringent ride safety standards in the world,” Reyes said.
In Santa Clara, California’s Great America also closed its pendulum ride, despite being manufactured by a different company.
In a statement, park owner Cedar Fair said the ride, called Delirium, is temporarily closed pending inspections.
“We are working closely with the ride manufacturer and regulatory authorities to reopen the ride as soon as possible,” the statement read. “Safety is our highest priority. The ride is temporarily closed out of an abundance of caution.”
