An ambulance was dispatched to Idlewild & SoakZone in Ligonier, Pennsylvania, around 1 p.m. after the child fell, Westmoreland County Department of Public Safety spokeswoman Mary Beth Eslary said. He fell off the Rollo Coaster, which has been shut down pending an investigation.
Advertisement
The boy, who was on the ride with his brother, was conscious while being treated on site, park spokesman Jeff Croushore said in a statement. The child, according to Trib Live, was riding on the Rollo Coaster, the park’s first coaster built in 1938. A child under 48 inches must be accompanied by an adult.
The six-year-old remains in critical condition after suffering brain injuries. A study conducted by the Nationwide Children’s Hospital in 2013 found that between 1990 to 2010, there were 92,885 children under 18 years old treated in emergency rooms across the U.S. for amusement park-related injuries.
A woman said that she took her 3- and 5-year-old sons on the ride that day, reported WPXI-TV.
This latest incident comes just days after two other accidents involving amusement park rides.
Then, on August 9, a 6-year-old girl “suffered a traumatic brain injury: when she fell 25 to 45 feet from a Ferris Wheel, said ABC”.
“This ride is one of more than 10,200 across the commonwealth that is registered with the state”, the director added.
“The lifeguard looked at me and assured me that it’s really not a big deal…”
Caleb Schwab, 10, was killed as he flew down the Verruckt waterslide at Schlitterbahn WaterPark in Kansas City, Kansas. However, the reports have not been officially confirmed.
News crews gathered at Idlewild were being kept outside the park this afternoon, even as patrons continued to stream in. The park was also “recognized as the Best Children’s Park by Amusement Today”.
Idlewild & SoakZone combines two types of theme parks – an amusement park and a water park – to appeal to a wide variety of guests.
Idlewild is home to mostly child-friendly rides as well as some attractions with minimum height restrictions.
Advertisement
A boy has been airlifted to hospital after falling from a wooden roller coaster at an amusement park in Pennsylvania. The water slide will remain closed for the season.
