An amusement park in North Carolina shuts down its roller coaster after a crack in its support beam suddenly appeared, prompting officials to halt its operations.
The crack in the Fury roller coaster at Carowinds showed up roughly a week ago in a social media post of one of its visitors. Then, another post last Friday puts the spotlight on the worsening condition of the aperture.
North Carolina Theme Park Closes Roller Coaster
The heart-pounding roller coaster at North Carolina's beloved amusement park has abruptly stopped, leaving adrenaline junkies in shock. What caused this twist? As per The New York Times, a man spotted a large crack in one of the roller coaster's support beams.
As NBC News reports, the North Carolina park, Carowinds, announced on Sunday that it has temporarily ceased the operations of the Fury 325, citing its much-needed repairs. The theme park confirmed they are now performing a "thorough inspection."
The park spokesperson McGarryt Weber says the roller coaster, dubbed as the tallest of its kind, will be available once they have finally fixed the issues.
On top of that, the amusement park says that they routinely perform safety inspections to ensure that all of their rides, including the Fury 325, function well. Their safety protocols, served daily, also look into the structural integrity of their rides.
The NY Times highlights that the rollercoaster in question, the Fury 325, one of the most sought-after rides in the park, is roughly 325 feet tall. It soars through the sky at around 95 miles per hour for over 3 minutes, carrying dozens of adrenaline junkies.
Large Crack Spotted in the Ride's Pillars
According to NPR, a video posted on social media shows the crack in the support beam, which appears to be moving as the coaster passes by.
Last June 24, a park visitor Tiffany Collins Newton shared photos, which give a close-up look at signs that cracks are starting to form in the roller coaster's pillars. She wrote, "Looks like it [has] just started."
Meanwhile, a former paramedic Jeremy Wanger shared a video of the crack last Friday, June 30, showing the movement in the pillar. He said he noticed the damage and filmed it while waiting for his kids.
The ex-paramedic says, "I look up, and I see a light come through the pole." He also declared that the pillar moved when the coaster passed by the crack.
Despite the closure of the coaster, the rest of the North Carolina amusement park is still up and running, welcoming visitors every weekend.
Related Article : Deadly Roller Coaster Derailment in Sweden Killed 1, Injured 9
