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Double amputee survives Iraq, dies on coaster

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Jake

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    An Iraq war veteran who lost both his legs to an IED attack has died after being flung from a roller coaster. Sergeant James Hackemer, 29, died after falling from the Ride of Steel roller coaster at Darien Lake Theme Park, Syracuse, New York.

    According to park officials, Mr Hackemer was travelling at 50 mph in the front row of the roller coaster when he was ejected. Investigators say nothing mechanical was wrong with the ride and both the safety harness and restraining bar were working.
    Click to expand...

    The restraining bar may have been working but what was under it to restrain? One hip? It seems this event could've been predictable.


    http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...r-dies-roller-coaster-fall.html#ixzz1TmlVPfpp
     
    This is my favorite roller coaster of all time. I can't believe they let him ride on it. The only thing this ride straps you down by is your legs. How do you let a person with no legs on the ride?



    edit - and not that it means anything, but this place isn't anywhere near Syracuse. it's a few miles east of Buffalo. hell....it's closer to Toronto than Syracuse.
     
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    It's fairly new. I remember a strap, but the main thing holding you in was a bar that pins your legs to the seat at the thigh. It gives you a feeling of not being strapped in even though it has you very securly by the legs..........as long as you have legs. From the pictures on that link, it doesn't look like he had prosthetic legs that would pass as real ones.
     
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    BuckeyeNation27;1962675; said:
    It's fairly new. I remember a strap, but the main thing holding you in was a bar that pins your legs to the seat at the thigh. It gives you a feeling of not being strapped in even though it has you very securly by the legs..........as long as you have legs. From the pictures on that link, it doesn't look like he had prosthetic legs that would pass as real ones.
    Click to expand...

    You're absolutely right. I didn't even click the link to see the pictures...
     
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    MililaniBuckeye;1962642; said:
    Precisely the reason all coasters rides from a while back have the torso restraints that clamp down over your shoulders. That ride must be pretty old if it had only lap restraints...
    Click to expand...

    Actually, the lap bars on Intamin roller coasters (this was one) are some of the absolute safest restraints out there...when the rider fits within the requirements. Unfortunately, Sgt. Hackemer did not. Over the shoulder restraints, for most purposes, provide little true additional safety over a properly used lap bar, even when going upside down. I won't get into the technical side of things (I've been in the industry 4 years, and following it for even longer), but basically, the restraint systems didn't fail, at all, the humans did. We have been discussing this issue for quite a while at an enthusiast site I frequent. Here are the discussion links.

    Initial Story
    Follow-up/State Inspector article
    Lawsuit filed
     
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    BuckeyeNation27 said:
    It's fairly new. I remember a strap, but the main thing holding you in was a bar that pins your legs to the seat at the thigh. It gives you a feeling of not being strapped in even though it has you very securly by the legs..........as long as you have legs. From the pictures on that link, it doesn't look like he had prosthetic legs that would pass as real ones.
    Click to expand...
    Well....I guess I'm older than I thought. It was built in 1999, but has added seat belts since another incident of a man being ejected.

    I knew I remembered riding it with only being strapped in by my legs. Must have been before that incident.
     
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    Darien Lake (under Six Flags ownership) has made 2 modifications to the seats and restraints. In each instance causing the modifications, the rider should not have been allowed to ride. One affected the seat position and ability to place the knees at the same height or higher than the rider's lap, the other added some "shin guards" that were supposed to help keep the legs in a "proper" position. I forget the dates of the modifications, and which ones came first. This was, however, the first instance of this style seat and restraint system for Intamin. The latest version of this seat/restraint system is Top Thrill Dragster at Cedar Point, which is widely regarded in the industry as the best design, with the Millennium Force version second.
     
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    scarletmike;1962730; said:
    Actually, the lap bars on Intamin roller coasters (this was one) are some of the absolute safest restraints out there...when the rider fits within the requirements. Unfortunately, Sgt. Hackemer did not. Over the shoulder restraints, for most purposes, provide little true additional safety over a properly used lap bar, even when going upside down.
    Click to expand...

    While over the should restraints may not provide that much more restraint than lap bars for normal people they would've kept the amputee in the seat.
     
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    And something we hammer on our boards is that if you engineer to protect absolutely everyone, you would end up with a worthless contraption that serves no useful (or entertaining) purpose. He should not have rode, period. Don't over-engineer, accommodating a majority of the populace (which Sgt. Hackemer unfortunately did not fall into) is more than acceptable.
     
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    This man should not have been allowed to ride, as scarletmike already said. There is a requirement on roller coaters for a certain number of limbs. Most require at least three limbs, and directly from Darien Lake's site:

    Ride of Steel
    One of the tallest coasters east of the Mississippi, climbing approximately 208 feet and reaching speeds in excess of 70 mph.
    Height Restrictions: Must be 54″ or taller and under 76″.
    Cautions & Special Requirements: Guests must have upper body control, two legs and the complete use of at least one hand. No artificial limbs may be worn. Riders must be within a certain range of size and physical dimensions. Please use test seat before entering queue line. Ride has front and back forces, side to side forces, top to bottom forces, strobe lights in use and is difficult to evacuate because of high catwalks. Do not ride if you have claustrophobia, are afraid of heights or have high anxiety.
    Click to expand...
    http://godarienlake.com/rides/thrill-rides/


    No question the ride operators were in error, and I would assume everyone working the ride at the time has been fired.
     
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    No offense, but what about assumed risked?

    If the ride operators said "no"... how long before the "you don't support our troops" line would have been tossed at them.


    I share blame to both parties here. Its pretty damn sad honestly.
     
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