PulsePro
07-17-2010, 12:57 AM
http://www.calgarysun.com/news/Stampede/2010/07/16/14742481.html
ix riders at the Stampede fair grounds were sent to hospital with various degrees of injuries following a mishap that sent parts of the Scorpion ride flying into the air and down to the ground.
Four more victims were treated at the scene and released after the mishap that occurred at 8:30 p.m. Friday night.
The victims, aged 11 to 19, were sent to Foothills and Alberta Children’s hospitals.
Dustin Anderson-Sharples, 17, broke his hand and fractured his leg after the cart he was in jolted.
“Then there were gears exploding,” he said of the ride he had gone on four times that day.
He quickly got himself and the girl he was sitting with out before he was pummelled back into the ride.
“I’m never going on one again.”
For Stacy Burrows, 11, Friday was his first time at Stampede and now likely his last after the ride’s collapse.
“There were bolts flying. It was like a bang and metal scraping and people screaming.
“It just dropped and skidded and flipped and there were people with heads cut.
“It was my first time coming to Stampede and my last time coming to Stampede.
“What I’m mad about was they didn’t stop the other rides (immediately).”
His cousin Alex Bilton said after the cart flipped over, it was hit by passing carts as the ride continued revolving.
He and his cousin’s reaction was to jump out and run for safety after seeing those injured lying on the ground.
“We were in shock.”
Tanner Suttie, who was standing close to the Scorpion, said he heard a loud bang.
“The green top flew off and it went right into the safety rails,” he said.
“It crashed into a rock.
“There was a girl right beside the rock, she was on the concrete and she appears unconscious, she’s bleeding from the head.”
Becca Lindberg, who was standing with Suttie, said it was terrifying.
“I saw smoke everywhere,” she said.
“I saw some people mangled and there were lots of them crying.”
Taylor Larocke was on another ride when he noticed parts of the Scorpion looked loose.
“The bucket was swinging and then it crashed,” he said.
Some of the rides were stopped for about an hour, but they resumed after the victims were taken by emergency crews.
Stacy’s mom, Lesley Burrows, went to the Stampede grounds to retrieve her son.
“I feel sick to my stomach but lucky. I’d rather be driving here than to the hospital.”
She said she hopes the Stampede will give her an explanation.
Vern Kimball, CEO of the Calgary Stampede, said their concerns right now are the safety of guests and not the event’s reputation.
“We want to convey our thoughts and prayers to the people and families affected by the incident,” Kimball said.
Stampede officials are working closely with emergency officials to ensure the safety of Stampede guests, employees and volunteers, he said.
Tony Diaz, general manager of the North American Entertainment, said the mishap was unprecedented.
Midway operators are working with provincial officials to investigate the incident.
“It’s too early to tell what exactly happened but as soon as we have that information we will give it to the media,” he said.
The Scorpion has been part of the midway for five years and it was the first incident of its kind.
ix riders at the Stampede fair grounds were sent to hospital with various degrees of injuries following a mishap that sent parts of the Scorpion ride flying into the air and down to the ground.
Four more victims were treated at the scene and released after the mishap that occurred at 8:30 p.m. Friday night.
The victims, aged 11 to 19, were sent to Foothills and Alberta Children’s hospitals.
Dustin Anderson-Sharples, 17, broke his hand and fractured his leg after the cart he was in jolted.
“Then there were gears exploding,” he said of the ride he had gone on four times that day.
He quickly got himself and the girl he was sitting with out before he was pummelled back into the ride.
“I’m never going on one again.”
For Stacy Burrows, 11, Friday was his first time at Stampede and now likely his last after the ride’s collapse.
“There were bolts flying. It was like a bang and metal scraping and people screaming.
“It just dropped and skidded and flipped and there were people with heads cut.
“It was my first time coming to Stampede and my last time coming to Stampede.
“What I’m mad about was they didn’t stop the other rides (immediately).”
His cousin Alex Bilton said after the cart flipped over, it was hit by passing carts as the ride continued revolving.
He and his cousin’s reaction was to jump out and run for safety after seeing those injured lying on the ground.
“We were in shock.”
Tanner Suttie, who was standing close to the Scorpion, said he heard a loud bang.
“The green top flew off and it went right into the safety rails,” he said.
“It crashed into a rock.
“There was a girl right beside the rock, she was on the concrete and she appears unconscious, she’s bleeding from the head.”
Becca Lindberg, who was standing with Suttie, said it was terrifying.
“I saw smoke everywhere,” she said.
“I saw some people mangled and there were lots of them crying.”
Taylor Larocke was on another ride when he noticed parts of the Scorpion looked loose.
“The bucket was swinging and then it crashed,” he said.
Some of the rides were stopped for about an hour, but they resumed after the victims were taken by emergency crews.
Stacy’s mom, Lesley Burrows, went to the Stampede grounds to retrieve her son.
“I feel sick to my stomach but lucky. I’d rather be driving here than to the hospital.”
She said she hopes the Stampede will give her an explanation.
Vern Kimball, CEO of the Calgary Stampede, said their concerns right now are the safety of guests and not the event’s reputation.
“We want to convey our thoughts and prayers to the people and families affected by the incident,” Kimball said.
Stampede officials are working closely with emergency officials to ensure the safety of Stampede guests, employees and volunteers, he said.
Tony Diaz, general manager of the North American Entertainment, said the mishap was unprecedented.
Midway operators are working with provincial officials to investigate the incident.
“It’s too early to tell what exactly happened but as soon as we have that information we will give it to the media,” he said.
The Scorpion has been part of the midway for five years and it was the first incident of its kind.