Superman Drop Tower Accident | A Short Documentary | Fascinating Horror

Around 4:45 p.m. On June 21, 2007, a component of the Superman Tower of Power attraction at Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom broke due to stress, resulting in the

accident

al amputation of a 13-year-old girl's feet. This freak

accident

unfolded in a matter of seconds and is one of the scariest in the history of theme park attraction accidents. The Superman Tower of Power is a relatively standard attraction installed at several Six Flags parks in the United States. The model at Kentucky Kingdom opened in 1995 and consisted of a single 50-meter

tower

on which a single car with outward-facing seats was mounted. Passengers were strapped into these seats and the car was then lifted to the top of the

tower

, held for a moment and

drop

ped back down to be caught by magnetic brakes just seven meters above the ground.

Kaitlyn Lassiter, 13, was enjoying a day at the park with friends when the incident occurred. She and her friends had already enjoyed the trip once and opted for a second trip, a decision that would have terrible consequences for her. The trip started normally, but during the climb to the top of the tower, a cable snapped and fell to entangle Kaitlyn and her friends. Passengers screamed for the ride to stop as Kaitlyn worked frantically to untangle herself. She managed to successfully remove the cable she had around her neck, but was unable to remove it from her ankles. The ride operator at ground level noticed unusual screams on the ride.

He called the park's emergency number, but when he explained the situation, the emergency personnel misunderstood and told him that it was normal for cyclists to scream. At some point the ride's emergency stop button was pressed, but it was either ineffective or too late. The ride stopped at the top of the tower and then descended normally. As she fell, the cable around Caitlyn's legs tightened, cutting both feet at her ankles. Her shoes (with her feet still inside) fell into the net under the ride. When the vehicle returned to ground level, the passengers found the harnesses locked. This was because the emergency stop had been activated and could not be undone except by a technician in an adjacent building.

It took ten minutes to free the riders, including Kaitlyn Lassiter. She was rushed to the hospital and, after extensive surgery, one of her feet was successfully reattached. Doctors were unable to save the other and Kaitlyn was eventually fitted with a prosthesis. After a long recovery period she was able to walk again. The Superman Tower of Power attraction was instantly closed and thoroughly examined. The manual governing the attraction's routine inspection procedures was found to be outdated. The most recent edition of the manual contained procedures for inspecting and testing the cable that would have prevented it from deteriorating to the point of breaking.

The delay in the ride operator making the emergency stop was also cited as a contributing factor to the severity of the accident. The attraction was, after this ruling, demolished. Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom was fined $1,000 for failing to maintain the ride.