KANSAS CITY, Mo. (WDAF) – A popular roller coaster at the Worlds of Fun amusement park in Kansas City, Missouri, reopened last week after it was temporary shut down to address an issue with its lap belts.
Mike O’Connell, a spokesperson for the Missouri Department of Public Safety, said a visitor to Worlds of Fun had emailed the Division of Fire Safety (DFS) about a safety concern with the park’s Mamba roller coaster. The woman said she had been at the amusement park a few weeks ago, and her son’s lap belt did not lock snugly around the child’s waist, according to the email.
On Thursday morning, a Division of Fire Safety (DFS) amusement ride inspector went to the park to conduct an inspection of the roller coaster — and found that multiple lap belts on the ride failed to lock the belt tightly, as required.
Worlds of Fun in Kansas City, Missouri, is seen in an aerial photograph. (Jill Toyoshiba/The Kansas City Star/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)
O’Connell said more than 20 lap belts or seatbelt retractors — which are required to lock the belts when fastened — were not functioning properly when inspected Thursday morning.
The ride was shut down and red-tagged, meaning it could not operate until repairs are made and it passes additional inspections.
The visitor who reported the issue wasn’t the only park-goer to raise concerns about the Mamba’s lap bar, according to a couple who spoke with Nexstar’s WDAF. Chris and Cassie Evins said they were riding the Mamba in October when a girl behind them let out a “blood-curdling scream” because her lap belt came undone on the first drop.
Chris Evins, who was sitting with Cassie Evins in front of the girl, said he had to reach back and push down on her to keep her from lifting out of her seat.
“She is holding on to her friend next to her for dear life. And you can just see the sheer panic in her face,” he said.
The couple said they warned the ride’s supervisor about the issue immediately after the incident, but they didn’t feel confident it would be resolved.
“It just felt like the staff just didn’t care,” Cassie Evins said.
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Worlds of Fun said it implemented modifications requested by the fire marshal on Thursday. The ride was re-inspected by the DFS on Thursday afternoon, and was approved to reopen that night.
“The safety of our guests and team members is a top priority,” a spokesperson for Worlds of Fun wrote in a statement shared with Nexstar’s WDAF. “Following the report of a guest concern on the ride earlier this month, our team immediately closed the ride and completed a thorough inspection before reopening it that evening. The ride is equipped with a multi-layered restraint system, and it has operated safely since the initial concern was raised.
“The ride has undergone a comprehensive safety review, and we have implemented modifications requested by the Fire Marshall to ensure it meets or exceeds all applicable safety standards before it reopens to guests [Thursday] evening.”
The Mamba was last inspected in April, according to O’Connell. During the April inspection, he said no issues were observed.
Amusement rides in Missouri must be inspected at least once a year by an approved inspector to obtain an operating permit, he said. The operating permits are good for one year.
