Video shows man jump off roller coaster after lap bar unlocks mid-ride: 'I didn't want to die'

ByEmma Lockhart, KPHO/KTVK via CNN
Friday, November 29, 2024
Video shows man jump out of rollercoaster after lap bar unlocks mid-ride
A man made a quick decision to jump off a roller coaster ride after he realized there was a problem with his lap bar.

PHOENIX -- A man made a quick decision to jump off a roller coaster ride after he realized there was a problem with his lap bar at an Arizona amusement park.

"It was just adrenaline. And I didn't want to die that day," the rider told KTVK/KPHO.

He didn't want to show his identity but describes the terrifying moment when he says his lap bar unlocked at Castles N' Coasters.

"I heard a click noise that was different from the chain taking us up the hill, and I checked my lap bar, and it released," he said.

This video shows the moment he stood up in his seat and jumped out onto the emergency staircase with just seconds to spare.

He believes he could have been killed if it wasn't for his quick thinking.

"It could have been one of the 11-year-olds. It could have been somebody younger; it could have been somebody older, not as agile, right?"

He said the manager offered him a refund and took a report, but he feels like his concerns were not heard.

In Arizona, the state does not oversee regulations of amusement park rides but requires rides to be inspected at least once a year.

State law says it's up to municipalities and counties to enforce compliance.

CNN reached out to Castles N' Coasters but did not hear back at the time of this report.