Theme park ride in North Yorkshire closed after fatal US accident

The death of a teenager on a ride at the Ohio State Fair in the US has led to the closure of a similar ride in North Yorkshire theme park Lightwater Valley.

Riders were catapulted into the air after a malfunction at a ride in Columbus, Ohio last week. 18-year-old Tyler Jarrell was thrown from the ride and killed, with several others injured.

The UK’s Health and Safety Executive decided to close down similar rides in the UK, leading to the closure of Lightwater Valley’s pendulum ride Eagle Claw.

A spokesperson for the theme park said:“We were deeply saddened and shocked to hear of the tragic accident in the US and our thoughts go out to the families of those concerned.

“While there are fundamental and significant differences between our ride and the one involved in this terrible incident we entirely support the Health and Safety Executive’s decision to not operate these types of ride in Great Britain until all the facts are known and a comprehensive investigation has taken place.

“Our ride has undergone the most stringent of safety checks, however as a precaution we strongly believe this is the correct and responsible thing to do. The safety and wellbeing of our visitors is of paramount importance.

“We will, of course, notify the public when the ride is back in operation.”

Earlier this year, Lightwater Valley was fined £57,000 after a five year-old girl was injured when her leg was trapped in a rollercoaster.

More recently, the park was sold to Harrogate businessman Ian Cunningham, via his Livingstone Leisure vehicle.

Pictured: The Ultimate rollercoaster at Lightwater Valley

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