The INFAMOUS Haunted Mine Drop Disaster | The Horrific Death of Wongel Estifanos

[@EkM-cl2bn]

I was a ride operator when I was a 19. I am now 23. I was terrified of people getting hurt or dying on my watch. I was very strict, my ride attendants (the people who load you on to ride and check seat belts) didn't like me very much because I was always making sure they were doing their job properly. Keep in mind that since you can only be a ride operator if you are 18 or older, most of the ride attendants were 15&16. Some 17 year olds, but mainly young teens. So they weren't thrilled about having to work in the hot summer heat but I didn't care, there's rule for a reason. I also wasn't afraid to get crunk with parents about their kids. Whether it's because their child wasn't behaving or because their kid wasn't tall enough to ride, I wasn't taking any chances. Can you believe how many parents are more afraid of telling their kid no than worrying about their own safety?! The moment their kids start crying they would try to bribe me or call for my coach. I ended up quitting because of that. It was exhausting.

[@darkrecon1209]

There's a saying (forgot where he got it from) my friend told me: "there's a reason why there are rules because every rule came from someone getting hurt or killed."

[@ne_alexa]

​@@darkrecon1209safety regulations are written by blood.

[@missAlice1990]

"Can you believe how many parents are more afraid of telling their kid no than worrying about their own safety?!" I can't say I'm surprised even a little bit. Parents can't say no to their children. They don't want to see them unhappy, which is understandable, but also they just don't want to deal with the crying and screaming, which is extremely egoistical.

[@sevciel]

Same, I don't know how many times parents have shouted at me because I didn't let their kids on the ride I was operating on. There is a reason why you aren't supposed to be shorter than 140 cm to ride it (as you could slip underneath the protections) and it's written everywhere before getting on the queue for it. There is even a meter before the queue to make sure you're tall enough. And yet, I'd be called horrible names by parents for not allowing children on it lol

[@thethundernado6670]

Sometimes you will be disliked in exchange for doing the right thing. You had every right to be that strict.

[@laura09284]

To think that one of those screams was from complete terror being drowned out by those screams of thrill is really saddening. No one would have never known. 😔

[@valinor5397]

She died on impact. You don't drop 110 feet and survive.

[@jennagano]

@@valinor5397 she didn’t say anything about that though. She’s talking about them screaming on the way :(

[@maryseflore7028]

@@valinor5397 She screamed in terror as she fell. That's what the OP was referring to.

[@whiteyfisk9769]

Hopefully she didnt have kids and leave them orphaned

[@kymo6343]

@@maryseflore7028 Then again though, it's possible she didn't have time to scream, was probably confused about what was going on. Let's just hope so anyways, let's hope she was gone before she realized what was going to happen...

[@Donice09]

The thing that scares me the most about this story is this was last year. Not the mid 90’s, not the mid 2000’s, last year. You’d think in 2021 There would have been extensive health and safety measures to prevent tragedies like this. It’s shocking the amount of systematic failures that happened. What a senseless tragedy.

[@Improv16]

@@AshLilyNeko so fu king sad

[@TigersandBearsOhMy]

That was my thought also. When the video started, I just assumed it was something that happened many years ago. It's terrifying that after all of the amusement park tragedies suffered, especially on this sort of ride, that safety measures were still so lax. And to those blaming the uncle, it only takes one slip up. He may have checked her on every single ride and just didn't that time, especially since he saw staff interacting with her. Don't blame him. I'm certain he is tormented every day with regrets.

[@jamangel]

Companies will never learn

[@jamangel]

@@AshLilyNeko hm

[@Plaksa2004]

It will never be safe just deal with it and stop going to the mountains, to the roller coasters and huge shows and celebrations with crowds, stadiums ecc. as it measn deliberately put yourself and ur kids in danger. point. There will always be corruption and irresponsibility, human factor ecc that will lead to accidents, but some things we can\t elimimate like using the metro and living in a building, the rest, though, is up to ppl. THere`s no need to take roller coasters ecc, everyone can do something less dangerous

[@HeyEfe]

1. Only a seatbelt for a drop tower? Immediate NO 2. 6 year old on a drop tower? Immediate NO 3. How can she be sitting next to her uncle and him not even glance over at their baby niece to at least see if she was okay/strapped in

[@Chinleewastakenbyaguy]

The tower of terror has seatbelts and it's pretty fun and safe

[@kristinebailey6554]

Exactly! I am the parent of 6 children and NEVER allowed them on such a ride. Even at Disney World, I checked for safety bars and belts in addition to the ride operators checking. It is a parents right AND obligation to check for these measures. Ultimately the child is the parents responsibility to keep safe from harm. Who cares about a child most? The parent!

[@pluto-kl5od]

@@kristinebailey6554 Stop with this narrative that the parent's are at fault for this. Many kids have rode "big" rides and came out just fine just by operator's simply following correct safety measures. Heck, as a 4-5 yr old, I rode tower of terror & came out unscaved.

[@RickC_]

@@Chinleewastakenbyaguy Tower of Terror also has an enclosed roof and sides.

[@Chinleewastakenbyaguy]

@@RickC_ Yeah it does

[@silveramaryllis]

Every time my dad took me to an amusement park he would help me buckle up BEFORE he did himself. There are so many steps here that were missed or ignored. So many people failed that little girl. May she rest in peace.

[@strangeanimations588]

Don't blame her family

[@eatthewoke5170]

@@strangeanimations588 I'd say the have a little bit of the blame if they were sitting right next to her. Wtf.

[@strangeanimations588]

@@eatthewoke5170 Maybe they should've double checked yes but the uncle saw the ride operator talk to Wongel so he thought they already secured her. It is the operators main job to make sure that everyone is secured regardless if the parents are there or not.

[@fatherfreedom1946]

I blame the family. Always triple check, and hold your kid down

[@Rumouruk]

@@strangeanimations588 To assume make an ASS out of U and ME. A saying from years back that is still true today. While I don't blame the family, I never let our young kids on a ride without making checks.

[@marli8907]

Oh this breaks my soul. She wasn't buckled AT ALL? I figured it was bad restraints, and she slipped out. But--not AT ALL!?! How could that go missed?

[@Vanessabluevulcan]

Ask the uncle or aunt since they buckled themselves in but didn’t think to check if the poor child was safe and seated properly

[@pastelbaby8964]

@@Vanessabluevulcan that is quite literally the JOB of the ride operator. Do you feel good shaming the poor family who probably already feels guilty enough?

[@Vanessabluevulcan]

@@pastelbaby8964 they should be ashamed because it’s an adults job to check after any child left in their charge

[@m0useb0nes]

@@Vanessabluevulcan The ride operators are at fault, their entire job is to make sure that everyone is buckled in, physically checked, listen to the alerts even if you're sure everyone is buckled in, and not start the ride until everyone is buckled in. They should've been charged.

[@lukaspage1625]

@@m0useb0nes they weren’t trained properly, the amusement park is at fault here, not the ride operators.

[@brittanydaniels2281]

As a parent guardian please never assume someone else has made your child safe. Even if its literally their job. Maybe its my anxiety but i always check my kids belts on ride/cars/planes/trains/literally where ever. Because if something happens to them its me not the operator that has to live with it.

[@cyrex686]

Same with driving a motorcycle. It might be the car driver's fault if they hit you; but they won't be the one in a wheelchair. So, don't assume they will follow the rules and let them through even if you have the right of way.

[@akschmidt2085]

Victim blaming again. So refreshing. I wish people would find a new record to scratch. Yes yes you can stay perfectly safe if only you behave correctly keep dreaming

[@steveescher1554]

@@akschmidt2085 That is not victim blaming. That is a good tip. Like saying carry mace or a gun when walking through the hood at night, it doesn't mean it's you fault if you are robbed and you don't have either of those.

[@MrChopsticktech]

I agree! My mom didn't ride rides, but there is no way she would have let my dad takes us on this ride if we were only six. My dad also checked our belts, lap bars etc. before he fastened his, and he made sure the operator double checked them.

[@thecaptainsnark]

i can't imagine not clinging to my niece also after making sure the seatbelt was secure. I'm just astounded.

[@geeker6350]

I can't even begin to imagine the terror that this poor child endured in her final moments. May she rest in peace.

[@mariastewart9820]

💔

[@jaysax7381]

@@chrisakaschulbus4903 everything all right at home? Since you clearly have to resort to being a corny fake edgy jackass to get attention on KZbin comments of all places. Hope this helped!

[@mbwhly]

@@chrisakaschulbus4903 get your head checked

[@chrisakaschulbus4903]

@@mbwhly "get your head checked" I just try to stay rational. There is no such thing as "peace" when it comes to death, your neurons stop firing. So yeah, she won't "rest in piece" since this concept is just laughable.

[@muttweedz]

@@chrisakaschulbus4903 14 years old boy and desperately masking an inferiority complex with a superiority complex. Name a more iconic duo.

[@punmaster5178]

Me and my family rode on this ride a few years ago. I have two younger siblings who rode with us. We were all excited to ride and I figured it was exactly like the Haunted Hotel ride in Disney land (don’t remember the actual name of it). I have never been more terrified in my life. There wasn’t anything fun about the ride. It was pure unbridled terror. I remember clear as day my dad screaming for someone, anyone to stop the ride. My youngest sibling had fallen out of their seat. The seat itself was not latched properly and my sibling, even though they met the high requirement, was still too little for the seat. My father, thankfully, was able to hold on to them and keep them from dying that day. When we started to rise back up, I started to cry. I didn’t want to ride again, I didn’t want my sibling to die. I didn’t want any of us to die. Thankfully, the ride only drops you once, but it was still enough to traumatize me and my family. We never sued or pressed any charges, though I wished we had. My condolences go out to this family. I can’t imagine what they are going through.

[@2411Mal]

Did you bring it to the ride operator's attention?

[@punmaster5178]

@@2411Mal I don’t remember if my parents said anything to the operators but from what I’ve heard it wouldn’t have changed anything. Without proof of injury, I doubt they would’ve listened to us. I’ve also heard that the ride started running again shortly after the investigation into the girls death.

[@penguinjay]

@5:49 that might be a reference to you.

[@punmaster5178]

@@penguinjay No I don’t think so. Me and my family visited the park earlier in 2017-18 I believe. And my sibling was strapped in properly, however they were too small for it to have done anything

[@smilomarie]

Even if its a gentle ride I have my hand on my kid and I am prepared to hold on to them for dear life. Kids who meet the height requirements still dont fit securely in the safety restraints even if they have been restrained fully. No need to take a chance. I doubt her uncle could have stopped her on that 110 foot drop but maybe, just maybe he could have helped.

[@afroqueen2458]

Imagine being the aunt and uncle having to live the rest of their lives knowing their niece died because they failed to protect her. The guilt combined with grief is debilitating.

[@strangeanimations588]

It wasn't their fault though, it was the ride operators fault.

[@afroqueen2458]

@strangeanimations588 you have a point, but you assume the responsibility of other people children, it is your job to protect them. I'm a mom, aunt and grandmother. I protected my children to the best of my ability and still made mistakes. But when I had other people's kids, mistakes were not afforded.

[@strangeanimations588]

@@afroqueen2458 Well in the video the uncle assumed the operator did their job of checking the seat belt, and that's why he didn't inspect it for her, which I'm sure he regrets now but it is the operators job to make sure everyone is buckled in correctly. Why do you have to put down the family? I'm sure they already feel guilty enough.

[@afroqueen2458]

@strangeanimations588 Thanks for clarifying that for me. I don't care what you say. Anyone of us in their shoes would feel some sense of guilt. Yes, it's the operators fault, but you still take extra precautions when it comes to children. You on a plane or a car, you make sure their seatbelt is secure and intact even if they fasten themselves. It's common sense. What's even more common sense is that children should not ride rides like that. I don't care what the requirements say.

[@strangeanimations588]

@@afroqueen2458 Well that's you, you don't speak for everyone.

[@copperridgegrow3940]

She was too small and innocent to understand she needed to be strapped in. It makes it worse that children have to depend on adults when it comes to safety but many have died blindly trusting adults.

[@chrisakaschulbus4903]

"She was too small and innocent to understand she needed to be strapped in." Ever since i saw this clip of the 7 year old opening the elevator door and just leaning forwards until he vanished... i learned how stupid kids are. No wonder i don't want them around me :D

[@misscleo378]

Poor baby. This could have been prevented if the ride operators had done their job. But I do believe whichever adult, I think it was her uncle, who was seated next to her, shares some of the responsibility. I’m always checking the restraints and holding onto my little ones when we go on rides.

[@chrisakaschulbus4903]

@@misscleo378 Of course the people that brought the child in the first place have some responsibility as well. From a rational standpoint amusement parks aren't necessary for life and are something you seek out for fun. That need for thrill did cost them a family member. It's not black and white. You can't just point the finger at one entity. Many variables contribute to an outcome.

[@Mrs.Self.Distruct]

Or like in my case when I was 10 yelling "help" and "don't start the ride!" the employee who was supposed to be checking ALL seatbelts passed me by and when I noticed my buckle was broken they were already walking off the ride and couldn't hear my pleas.. meanwhile those around me are just staring as I'm frantically trying to get the belt secure and I didn't have time to run off the ride and chance it starting as it goes way up in the air and spins. Lucky for me gravitational pull was my friend and it kept me sucked in and as it was a standing ride I had a place to hang on though it was still scary.

[@ribunny123]

@@chrisakaschulbus4903 I feel like that's a Darwin award winner

[@MacyMayM]

This wasn’t a mistake,it was negligence. It takes less than 2 minutes to make sure everyone was secured. I can’t imagine what the family is going through.

[@mainframe1608]

Why can’t it be both a mistake and negligence? Negligence causes mistakes.

[@TigersandBearsOhMy]

Not even two minutes in this case, as it said the ride only seated 6 people anyway. It would have taken a mere 30 seconds. That poor little girl lost her life so someone could spare themselves 30 seconds. How awful.

[@KenRyanProductions]

i hate how they use the word accident. it absolves anybody from guilt.

[@Dream_Sweet_In_Sea_Major]

@@TigersandBearsOhMy They checked. Like 2 times. They did everything by the book.

[@cosmicreef5858]

Also checking seat belts is just common sense. Not being trained is not an excuse

[@horrortackleharry]

If you have a son or daughter who plans to work at an amusement park, make them watch videos like this. Then they can ask their employers directly "How do I stop this ride from killing people?".

[@SarahBarkley]

I worked at two major theme parks and I always think about stuff like this when I’m operating a ride because all I care about is the safety of everyone. We get yelled at and abused by guests because we don’t allow them to ride for certain ride requirements and it’s not because we are mean it’s because we care!!

[@gossipony]

“Give me an example of how this ride could kill a person.” And then ask them to work you backwards from each example to a safe ride for everybody. If you are told it could never happen, that’s a red flag that you’re not being adequately trained. I feel bad for the family, but if the ride operators are any kind of decent people, they will also be living with this loss forever.

[@lisas8614]

That's how you get fired

[@Littleone124]

@@lisas8614 no, that's how you look like an upstanding employee who cares about the safety of the parks guests

[@Littleone124]

@@lisas8614 if an amusement park fires you over wanting to know what can go wrong on a ride to prevent such tragedies, that's a huge red flag that you don't want to work there!

[@deeaye01]

So her family buckled themselves in fearing their lives but didn’t think to check or help the kid with hers!?! They have to accept some responsibility 🤦‍♀️🤯🤯🤯

[@aprilruiz5406]

Sad truth

[@jennyn5692]

Seriously. They bring their 6-year-old niece on a ride, especially one like that, and didn't even look to see that she was buckled in??

[@tiyab3104]

Agreed! My oldest daughter is 21 but she is slim so I check her restraints and make sure there isn’t too much space. I prefer to sit with my 13 year old so I can check her myself. I act like an employee my damn self! My children are my responsibility first.

[@jennifermartin8119]

Why would you bring a 6 year old on this!

[@jamangel]

Fr

[@rebeccaschmitt9685]

as a lead ride operator this breaks my heart. i always make sure to emphasize the importance of safety before anything else. definitely have had people who’ve been fired for ignoring that important rule, and the fact that this occurred is just heartbreaking. prayers to her family and friends, i hope she’s resting peacefully. this never should’ve happened. ☹️

[@triciac.5078]

This is why Disney’s Tower of Terror does two different types of visual seatbelt checks plus a sensor for the belt. And you’re in a cage as well.

[@SarahBarkley]

Yep worked at TOT and I always made sure to double and triple check everything before even thinking about sending people. Check straps, make people raise hands, check sensors, then sending it

[@savinggraceklp]

Anyone remember when the Tower of Terror had the long bench long restraint? I remember riding the TOT as a scrawny 11 year old, never felt unsafe with it but was glad when they switched to the restraints now in place.

[@PureSniperWolf]

I loved the ToT. It was my favorite ride. For someone that small to be on it already seems dangerous (height restrictions exist for reasons in a lot of rides) and also I would be worried about the physical forces exerted on a child... I was big for my age and 12 when I did it but even when things go like they're supposed to I wouldn't be confident a child should go on it. Am I just paranoid? I'm not blaming the family, it just seems like more negligence from the park to me. Also, RIP ToT. *Of course* RIP this little girl. No one should be harmed or die at amusement parks... Losing even one life to such a thing is already one life too many. 😭 I'm atrocious with names, but I'm glad her story (and name) will be told.

[@wintersprite]

@@savinggraceklp I rode it in both 2001 and 2004 and I believe it was the bar restraint then. I was in high school and figured it might not need shoulder restraints because it had a solid bottom so you’re feet weren’t dangling or anything. That said, when I was a kid, my least favorite ride was the big swinging boat (I’m fine with them now) and I didn’t get up the courage to ride a looping coaster until my senior year of high school. There are still certain kinds of rides I avoid, including standing and lying down coasters.

[@deannadanielle]

I have so much trauma from that ride. Not because I wasn’t strapped in but because it’s the most horrifying thing I’ve ever experienced. Sometimes I randomly think about it and silently begin too panic. It’s a shame because I was so happy to ride it but even typing this is making me sick to my stomach😅😭 the “drops” were so haunting plus that rumble before the final fall….

[@joelmabrey2569]

The employees that didnt check to see if she had the belt over her lap are to blame , BUT I have been to amusement parks with my kids at this age and I always check their restraints myself to make sure they are secure . The uncle was sitting beside her and did not check to see if the belt was over her lap. He should have double and tripled check to see about her safety .

[@bigred7238]

Maybe it was to dark they are in a mine shaft after all

[@naomigreene5270]

@@bigred7238 their seatbelts were on though so idk about that

[@whitedragoness23]

He only checked on her because he wanted to talk to her about the ride but couldn’t bother to see if she was buckled in

[@jackiethecartoonfan2300]

And not just that, but how can one of the employees reset the alarms and start the ride anyways? One must never ignore this kind of signal at all and double check to see if all passengers are safely secured.

[@klippitykloppity]

My thoughts exactly. He was sitting right there beside her. What was he looking at, that he didnt realize her entire body was no longer seated next to him, until they came to a stop.

[@ButtonsCasey]

This could have been prevented in so many ways. The first way, not letting a SIX year old get on a ride meant for teens and adults. No way in hell would I let a six year old on this ride, or type of ride. Most parks have a kiddie area with rides made for little children.

[@SpicyLimon4723]

Accidents still happen on those unfortunately 😢

[@cookingsecrets11493]

Age doesn't necessarily matter on rides. It's about height and weight and, of course, wearing a seatbelt.

[@Fenrirsleeps]

@@cookingsecrets11493do you see pictures of her she doesn’t like tall or weigh enough for a ride like this

[@cookingsecrets11493]

@@Fenrirsleeps Yes, but then that’s because of her size, not necessarily her age.

[@draggy76]

​@@cookingsecrets11493 That's odd,. because i know a few extreme rides and even normal rides that wont let a six year old on em..... and some rides that wont let you on over a certain age, it has a hell of alot to do with age as well as height and weight.... don't speak ignorance.

[@osymosys5751]

It's absolutely insane to me that after 3 months which is a considerable amount of time, the operators still had no clue what the alerts meant. There must be some new training rules set and there must be a watchful eye making sure everything is done right so something like this never happens again.

[@jennyn5692]

Agreed. And can you imagine how they felt when they found out what it meant? If they'd only known, that beautiful little girl would be alive today. Although...how on earth could any of her family not have noticed she wasn't buckled in?? Who takes a 6-year-old on a ride, especially a ride like that, and doesn't make sure she is buckled in? Honestly, if I was her mother, I'd blame them as much as the ride operators/company.

[@LovelyLies16]

This was why, as a kid, I'd always personally check my friends/family's safety restraints were secure on rides. I noticed ride attendants didn't always bother to check. Sometimes they even skipped right over us! I remember at a fair ride how the guy half-heartedly pushed on my mom's safety bar to put it in place (it was a ride where we'd get thrown through the air). I noticed his attitude and how the bar didn't click like everyone else's. So I reached over and pushed on the bar myself to check and THEN heard it click in place. My mom had a scared expression and was like, "Well, that's scary!" It turned out fine, but this was always a nightmare I feared happening.

[@zjjir]

that is so sweet, i love when children look out for their parents. i had experiences like that too, where a restraint didn't feel locked.peoples lives are in the attendants hands, they should take better care . glad you were able to make sure your mom was s afe.

[@hollum1648]

The tiny details of this are just so tragic for all who were involved, it was practically a comedy of errors with a grim outcome. She looked like she was wearing the seatbelt because she had the loose tail of it over her lap, the buckle was still buckled from the previous ride cycle, and the operators were not trained to know what the ride system alert was trying to tell them. Also the ride had an extremely easy-to-perform manual override with basically no failsafes, that is so dangerous

[@happyvocal]

Also I can't think of a time where I've ridden a ride with a seatbelt and no one checking my belt, both shtty carnival rides and the big parks. Every time, always there is a ride operator checking each person individually to make sure everyone is locked and loaded-- this action normally includes pulling at the seatbelt to make sure it is fitted securely around the waist. Especially with the lack of shoulder restraints?? Their training was stupidly negligent for it to result this way ):

[@Trenchcoat3]

@@happyvocal ​ Dont even need training for that it’s just basic common sense. Likely a combination of bad training and lazy employees

[@Thephillips-dj1po]

Like, all we need is them blaming her and you have a home-run of shit.

[@LG_Hakubi]

The kicker was, it wasn't manually overridden. The alert notified that Wongel's seat belt hadn't been cycled - as in, because there was no rider in it before, the seat belt had not been unbuckled then rebuckled. What the operators did then is what I've seen done countless of times - they unlocked all of the seat belts, which caused the error to go away because it was "fixed". What they were supposed to do was go back and visually and physically check everyone's belts again before starting the ride, but that didn't happen. And because baby girl had the slack of the seatbelt over her legs, she looked secured, when she was not. The report also states that this half assed checking process was witness throughout the day on the security cameras.

[@rmac3217]

If you’ve ever waited for ages in line waiting for engineers, it’s almost always because a seat belt fault but they can’t run the ride while it is there. Back in the day they could just leave the seat empty.

[@KatieGrady1997]

I’ve been on hundreds of rides with my kids. It never once occurred to me that I could even consider having anyone make sure my kids are buckled in. That’s MY job as their mom. They’re old enough to buckle themselves in, but I check them… every. single. time. It’s so sad that so many people failed this sweet girl.

[@celesten.4489]

what if you went to the bathroom....this should never happen either way, lady. You are still trusting ur kids in a ride u have no clue its safe or not. It should be safe tho and they should check evertyhing is okay also.

[@whiteyfisk9769]

Sorry, but taking responsibility for your own actions and for your children is considered wyte supremacy....so please quit being raycist

[@indiehead457]

@@whiteyfisk9769 How the fuck is taking responsibility for your children white supremacy?? you absolute dumb fuck. they're YOUR kids. they're a result of YOUR parenting. they are YOUR responsibility.

[@mariner355]

@@whiteyfisk9769 you're trolling, right? or are you a stupid f*ck

[@Miabia1000]

This is easily the most ignorant comment. What do you gain from being snarky and stupid on a video about a child’s death?

[@tarawillis5450]

The restraint system was laughable. This was completely preventable. She was such a beautiful little girl. Thank you for telling her story with so much compassion. God bless her family. 🙏🏻♥️

[@andrewcairns8266]

Nothing to laugh about. Also, God isn't real

[@zeke1220]

What was wrong with the restraint system? It was an employee and administration problem. Just like almost every other tragedy, greed is to blame.

[@mindyschocolate]

She wasn’t even wearing it, so who’s to say it was laughable?

[@rprince418]

@@mindyschocolate Which is what makes it laughable. It should have not been that easy to miss.

[@maribeldeleon5323]

@@mindyschocolate precisely because she wasnt wearing it. that is what she means by laughable. like duh. thats why she said it was laughable. the death couldve been prevented if she had the seatbelt on but she wasnt even wearing it. that is why it is laughable.

[@10191927]

I remember this story from a year ago, there were other issues with that ride, other people starting commenting on that ride saying they had similar experiences with nearly falling out of the ride and when brought to park employees it was ignored and brushed off. So the park knew this ride was dangerous. I also heard that Wongel did have the belt on, but she was too small for the ride and she slipped under the belt before the ride actually began moving, there seemed to be conflicting parts if she had the belt on or not. But the ride did have a height requirement, and I think that was ignored too, which also contributed to the incident, either way the sheer incompetence and ignorance by the park is just mind blowing.

[@mainframe1608]

For the first paragraph, those were just overreacting babies.

[@jamiemunger2931]

@@mainframe1608 I think people who rides these kinds of things can tell the difference between false alarm and "I might die here." I'm all for thrill rides. They're the only good thing at basically any park. Loose restraints when you know there shouldn't be are the only thing about rides that can turn my blood cold

[@mainframe1608]

@@jamiemunger2931 The parts on a roller coaster that lift you in your seat is called air time, it happens a lot on roller coasters, especially ones with lap bars, and is completely safe.

[@jamiemunger2931]

@@mainframe1608 oh I know that. Like I said, I'm all or thrill rides. That's why I clarified the "shouldn't be". Besides, this case didn't have a lapbar or anything similar. It was more of an airplane seat belt. There's nothing safe about those when you can feel them start to give. At least metal bars and over the shoulder restraints have a intended limit to how much give they allow

[@mainframe1608]

@@jamiemunger2931 that makes sense, sorry for misinterpreting your comment

[@JustJenRx]

She’s an absolutely beautiful little girl. These poor parents 😭 I hold my kids tighter after videos like these. I just took mine to Dollywood, and it breaks my heart this happened to this family. It could happen to anyone. Anyone. RIP sweet little Angel. How could a 6 year old get on a ride like this??? How?! She fell 110ft. How tragic. A seatbelt? How does a lap belt like that even be enough for a ride like that???!! She wasn’t even wearing a seatbelt 😭 oh my gawd. The employees are 100 negligent for this. This design was flawed from the beginning! Her future was stolen. They always skate out of accountability!!! These parks always do this kind of ish! Reopen the ride??!!! Are you kidding me?!!! No! Tear it down, you savages!!!!

[@isabellaangeline2175]

She was her mom’s mini me. Such a horrible and tragic story.

[@chrisakaschulbus4903]

Now she's mom's mineshaft pasta.

[@User_92020]

Don't compare her to Austin Powers

[@Davidjon1946]

And now she's gone!! A day that was supposed to be full of fun all over a senseless accident

[@LAYLALA19]

@@User_92020 nobody was comparing her to that crap

[@LAYLALA19]

@@keepyourvisionstoyourself1932 nobody was being narcissistic you offended cause someone said she looked just like her mother like wtf is wrong wit you she looked like her mom oh fucking well deal wit it

[@tiffanysjustcoloring]

Oh my gosh this one really hurts my heart. She had no idea, and was failed by all the adults around her who should have been looking out for her safety. These videos normally don’t make me cry, but as a mom of two girls (one who’s not much younger than her) this one did.

[@strangeanimations588]

It wasn't the family's fault though

[@NikkiAkaNlg]

​@@strangeanimations588Well aren't you a broken record 🙄 In every single comment section, you MUST be one of the family members. There's no other reason for you to act this Psycho.

[@MIWHALKI]

While this is a sad event, the parents really need to realize that there are 2 more people who failed to protect their daughter. The Aunt and Uncle. When I took my children on any rides, I made sure they were strapped in good. As they were boarding I am sure they were looking down to pick up the seatbelt. Those 2 didn't even pay enough attention to their niece to even notice. When you talk to someone way shorter than you, you look DOWN at them. They basically failed to even acknowledge the poor girl.

[@mikaross4671]

thats what hurts me the most. This poor girl was just sitting there. She had no idea. Why did the aunt nor uncle even try to check her?! they shouldnt have even brought her the ride. she's only 6.

[@purselmer5931]

I am sorry, but that is exactly what I thought. I have many children and have been to many amusement parks w/them. There was never one time that, as the adult sitting with them, my husband or I did NOT check on THEM before we even belted ourselves in. It's just instinctual - you secure the children first and foremost. RIP beautiful young lady, gone far too soon.

[@savinggraceklp]

Exactly. Several years ago my family went to Disney and any time I rode a ride with one of my nieces or my nephew (2 years old to 16 years old), I was double checking their restraint before my own, yes, even for the 16 year old. I had the misfortune of my harness not locking itself and coming open during a rollercoaster ride at another park as a young teen but thankfully the ride was stopped. It caused me to always be hypervigilant about such things. Poor kid, she was failed on so many levels. 😢

[@mindyschocolate]

Yeah, I was wondering. How does any adult riding with her not even check that’s she’s secure too?

[@kelzbelz2621]

100% this!

[@EmilyDamen]

I cudnt even imagine the terror this poor little girl felt before she died. My heart goes out to her family.

[@Slay_slay13]

This poor child 💔 I went on a similar ride at Disneyland & was a WRECK, holding onto my 8-year old, feeling like that ride was a death machine! I won’t go again, it just feels too dangerous. I ALWAYS check my kids’ restraints on rides, it’s too sad that this family had to even think of doing so, it was the parks job to do that.

[@goddesstreasure]

Nahh. Same !!! Guardians of the galaxy. I had noooo idea how fast and crazy that ride was. I practically leaned on top of my little one so she wouldn’t fly out or something. I was scared for my kids and def never doing anything like that again.

[@thecatatemyhomework]

I've never been on a ride with my young son without double checking that he's locked in, whether a seatbelt or whatever else. Her uncle assumed she was secure?? Obviously her parents weren't there. Wonder how they feel about the uncle to this day. At 6 years old, she definitely seems to be too young for a Ride like that.

[@missywink1504]

Yes, six years old seems way too young for a ride like that! That was my first thought and I don't even have kids.

[@LuxFuxx]

Was gonna say this. Yes the ride operators should check. But you're gonna let the 6 year old sit next to you and not assist her or even check that she has her seatbelt on?

[@horrortackleharry]

Yeh, the whole thing sounds sketchy- like the reason there hasn't been a massive lawsuit is because the family would be held at fault to a certain extent.

[@vixen4327]

Yes, I thought the same. I always always always check my restraints before and after the ride operators and check on whoever is next to me also. This was so tragic. She was too little for that ride

[@missywink1504]

@@horrortackleharry Right! And the operators should at least be partially responsible for this because, who needs to be trained to check for unfastened seatbelts? This is common sense! Also, ignoring an alarm because no one knows what it’s for? WTF? Being ignorant shouldn’t let them off the hook.

[@sophiaisabelle01]

Disasterthon - True Horror seems to be one of the major pioneers of creating compelling yet very thought provoking content. I’m certain of the fact that the people behind this channel do their bests to respect the families of the victims and to genuinely honor and even respect the victims themselves. Kudos to all the hard work. Y’all deserve more recognition.

[@DisasterthonTrueHorror]

Thankyou!

[@TheNuckinFoob]

Agree. Just wish they were a bit longer sometimes but really it lasts as long as it needs to. I just always want more.

[@microtonalmilio5233]

He’s not a pioneer in true horror… that’s been done for almost 2 decades on KZbin and other social media sites. He is however one of the pioneers of true horror that actively attempts to respect the families of those involved, to show who they were. He immortalizes them for who they were, not how they died. That is unique as shit.

[@sadezem991]

@@microtonalmilio5233 that's what they were saying

[@Magna_Carta5]

@@microtonalmilio5233 Yeah, it is unique. There is a channel called "Anna Solves" that uses the most awful, sensationalist titles and in the videos she recounts terrible events in such that makes it clear she thinks nothing of the people involved, it's just profit to her. She also mispronounces names of the victims and their families, includes false information that even two minutes of research would have debunked, and she never retracts or even acknowledges any of it. I think of the families of victims coming across her videos and it makes me feel sick. I know she is just the "voice" of a shameless content farm, but it bothers me so much. Some people have no sense of shame.

[@gellerbingsgaming]

Over shoulder restraints should be compulsory on all rides, things like this are happening too often. Rip little one.

[@Nightweaver1]

Like I said in another comment, if this was a bigger park like a Six Flags park, engineers would never have been allowed to construct the ride with just a seat belt. Drop towers need shoulder restraints, period.

[@rosesweetcharlotte]

@@Nightweaver1 Yeah, larger parks have their problems, but they are largely much safer and better regulated.

[@ryanritchey3574]

Not every coaster or ride needs a over the shoulder restraints, Lapbars usually are fine

[@shadycharacter94]

No.

[@achaides]

I understand not wanting the big bulky over the shoulder restraints, but at least a 5 point harness! Safety people!! Why are employees always ignoring error messages?? A rides safety alarms should not be able to just be reset

[@zonabot6029]

I watched a few of these videos and now I’m getting Accident lawyer ads non stop

[@Ziggy-hy4fn]

The sheer horror of going to a park with someone in the car, and then having to drive back without them, is something I never hope to understand.

[@psw4763]

This was truly a nightmare. As an adult I would not do this ride. So very sorry for the little girl and family.

[@l.l.4244]

Exactly! People think I'm paranoid for avoiding rides like this, but accidents can and do happen any time

[@desratlinda8639]

@@l.l.4244 (I'll think twice before going on another ride again, I've been on rides in the past too where they didn't check me and I often wonder how dangerous that could've been if something had been wrong with it )

[@philipsmi-lenguyen8155]

Ikr. Why would u take some1 so small on something like that for?

[@penelopewebling1085]

@@philipsmi-lenguyen8155 Exactly!

[@mrs.h2725]

So thankful for this video exposing them. I live in CO and hadn’t heard of this. Will definitely spread the word to avoid this death trap amusement park at all cost.

[@mikaross4671]

It's a very sad story but who lets a 6 year old ride this?! No shoulder straps... either. I figured a height and weight requirement would be a thing. Like, a 6 year old is tiny and weighs barely anything. I feel so bad for this family... but everyone here failed this girl. RIP to poor Wongel. It's not fair for her to die like this.

[@angelareitz5122]

exactly! i just imagined myself as a six year old and how terrified i would be on a ride like that , even if i was properly restrained! my gawd--- 6 years old? i don't think i was brave enough for the old tilt-a-whirl ride at that age.

[@asliceofpai]

Early reports of this story mentioned that she did in fact fit the ride requirements for this ride.

[@basbleupeaunoire]

@@asliceofpai That's nuts. She looks so small. Maybe she was tall for her age.

[@basbleupeaunoire]

Even if everything had actually worked and she went home to her parents, 6 seems too young to be on a ride like that.

[@starshipdriver8536]

Horrible ride design, that shouldn't be for children.

[@f3lix342]

I couldn’t even imagine how it must feels for a parent to lost their child.. the pain must be unbelievable.

[@whiteyfisk9769]

I know, hopefully she didnt leave any kids behind

[@classicstorm]

The fact that they were able to ignore a warning sign and figure out how to shut it off, but they couldn't figure out what the point of it was for is just dumb...

[@k.a5765]

This breaks my heart. My niece looks so much like Wongel. She loves amusement parks. I always make sure she has her seat belt. I’m one of those annoying people holding up the ride because I make sure my neice is strapped in.

[@ninabonis9045]

You are not annoying, you are responsible and lover parent !

[@DisasterthonTrueHorror]

Hi everyone! I called the ride a roller coaster, it’s Infact a drop tower! I didn’t have time to edit it out as I’ve been working away!

[@charliekezza]

Blonde moment we all have em. ♥️🖤♥️

[@DisasterthonTrueHorror]

@a guy that has enough wasting his life one of those days bro… ahaha

[@brianakelley123]

The employee that over-rid the warning but didn’t have proper training must be feeling horrible. I can’t imagine that.

[@Nightweaver1]

This ultimately was the park owner's responsibility to properly train his employees, and he failed to do that, so he should go to prison.

[@celesten.4489]

never ignore a warning in a ride like this. no need to be a genious for that one.

[@maryseflore7028]

@@celesten.4489 It wouldn't surprise me to find out they were actually told, in training, to ignore warnings. And as teenagers - thus, underaged - they didn't think further about it.

[@rmac3217]

It wouldn’t surprise me fin trusting teenagers with your own life is not a good idea, let alone your child. Push the restraint yourself, it’s not rocket science... That’s why teenagers do it.

[@themobseat]

Sadly, some people don't ever feel horrible. They just blame someone else.

[@cyrex686]

The ride detects someone in the seat, but not buckled, so it throws an error. Ok, so far , so good. Now why the hell can the teenage operator still start the ride? Either there is something wrong with the safety mechanism in the ride (shut down, call maintenance); or someone isn't strapped in. (Strap them in, run the ride). There shouldn't be a "just send it bro" option for the ride operator. I'm betting there wasn't such an option, the ride operator was probably given the maintenance guy's override key after some other, non critical error kept popping up. He got so used to using it, that when this legit error came up, he treated it like any other.

[@thefatherrabbit]

@Justin Loveday Their assumptions were correct, so what is the problem?

[@thefatherrabbit]

@Justin Loveday You don't have to take an attitude. There were prior complaints from patrons that similar incidents had occurred. The commenter was expressing what they believed might have happened based on their own experience. That wasn't the part of the comment I thought you were referring to since it seemed to me to be more of an opinion.

[@thefatherrabbit]

@Justin Loveday What do you expect on a video that only contains half the story?

[@thefatherrabbit]

@Justin Loveday Yeah I don't doubt that, man. Like I said, not what I thought you were referring to so that's my mistake.

[@benm1414]

@mike sprigg (her name was Wongel- I was curious why I was hearing "one girl" too but it's just name pronunciation I believe)

[@Narutospicyking]

I would never allow a 6 year old on such a ride in the first place! That ride in itself could be very traumatizing for a child, especially a 6 year old! Parents need to do better too and make sure this doesn't happen by keeping them off of adult rides!

[@jimhalpert4959]

So, so sad. This is also on the parents/family members. I always check my kids harnesses and belts before I even put mine on. Fault all the way around. Rest in peace, sweet girl.

[@reachandler3655]

"... safety is and always has been our top priority. We have always put people... above all else" If that were true then the staff would have been fully trained, they would know the importance of checking each and every rider is securely buckled in, and they would have known what the warning light meant! RIP little angel.

[@wuzittooya]

Yeah that was a horrible thing to say after this tragedy. 😢

[@Chinleewastakenbyaguy]

I can't believe how the manual was only 3 pages and was very vague on how it described checking the riders

[@skycloud4802]

That's so sad. You can see in her eyes she seemed such a happy child. What a terrible thing to have happened to her.

[@erinthesystem9608]

I know that a child's appearance shouldn't influence my feelings, but she was a beautiful little girl. That's also a sad age at which to die: You're almost in middle school, and life is exciting, promising if only because you're still young- but with a family who really loves you, that promise stands a good chance of being fulfilled. I hope this death inspires something good, somehow- because it sure looks pretty senseless from here.

[@cc1526]

If they want to keep that free fall feeling that you get by not having a shoulder hardness, they need to install those hydraulic heavy lap bars (like the ones at velocicoaster or iron gwazi). A little seat belt might work in tower of terror where the fall isn’t crazy big and you’re within a cabin. There’s no falling out of that unless you jump. With this ride, it looks like you can see all the way down and that requires way more protection than a flimsy seatbelt. I hope they make the necessary changes before reopening because this was completely preventable and so sad for that little girl and her family.

[@mousepariah3884]

Yeah I didn't question the lack of shoulder restraint till they showed that these are literibly chairs over a drop and nothing else. Like HOW was this not seen as an accident waiting to happen? It's worse than that Loop de loop slide at Action park

[@PungiFungi]

Speaking of that, there’s a zip line ride in Rio Casino in Vegas and the only restraint on that ride is a single seatbelt.

[@christinahippensteel7611]

It has actually been completely changed to “the crystal tower” with a cage around the seats.

[@4PawSquad]

I’m a new viewer and I’m so happy to see you have a playlist of all your videos. So many creators don’t do this and it’s such a good way to keep people on your videos. Excited to start from the beginning.

[@l1z4rdon7]

Reminds me of when I worked at Busch Gardens. New hires are usually put on simpler/safer rides to operate. Like a merry go round the only thing you have to do is make sure everyone is sitting on the horses and then keep your foot on a pedal for the ride to operate. The ride stops when your foot is off the pedal. Even with the pendulum ride there’s always two or more people with you and everyone is checking everyone’s restraints with you.

[@kwantis1]

as a ride op, when they were training us they used this incident as an example of why it is so important for us to pay attention. i am still shocked how they did not realize that she was sitting on the seatbelt 😢

[@Scraggledust]

That poor sweet girl. My her family find peace one day. I’m not blaming anyone here - but when my child and I went on rides, I ALWAYS checked her restraints. Even on the mini-coasters. I didn’t want to risk trusting ride operators, because they go into habit mode. Constant repetitions and so it is always possible something will be missed.

[@someoneout-there2165]

You say you're not blaming anyone while in a roundabout way blaming the family. 🤣

[@fd3]

This comment began sympathetic and then just took a 180 degree passively-blaming turn.

[@flash_flood_area]

@@someoneout-there2165 Yes, although a statement of fact, that may reach other parents and help prevent future accidents, isn't blaming, unless you construe it that way

[@da6923]

@@someoneout-there2165 I’d say this person is actually reminding people that ride operators miss things and it never hurts to double-check. It’s helpful and the goal is to prevent others from losing their children in a similar way. You are the one being inexplicably petty and using inappropriate laughing emojis under a video about a deceased child. Not a great look.

[@sandisustek9618]

I never NEVER do not check to make sure that my grandsons are not safely restrained while riding these rides that teenagers are responsible for with their lack of training and minimum wage pay. Absolutely do blame the adult family member seated right next to her. This little beautiful girl will miss life because an adult family member failed her.

[@clownivore]

something i wondered while watching this, even if the ride operators didnt know what that specific alarm meant why didnt they try to check before starting the ride? if its going off clearly SOMETHING is wrong, could they not have found another employee or manager who mightve known what it meant or at least thought to double check that everyone was secure just in case? lots of people saying the operators arent responsible since they werent properly trained and i definitely agree that the park is largely at fault for not training them more but i feel like its just common sense if an alarm is going off (especially at something that potentially dangerous) to figure out the cause of the alarm instead of just shrugging it off and starting the ride anyway

[@thefatherrabbit]

I totally agree. It seems like common sense to shut the ride down and have maintenance take a look at it. They knew what the alarm meant. They just didn't know what to do about it. They did multiple cursory checks of the seat belts, but still didn't notice she was sitting on hers and not wearing it, so they assumed the alarm was faulty since they didn't see a problem and it wasn't turning off, so they reset the ride. Unfortunately, even if they had done that, it's likely something like this would have happened at some point anyway. The park had received complaints in the past about the ride operators nearly starting the ride without everyone being buckled in, but apparently nothing was ever done by management about that. It was a matter of time before something like this happened.

[@basbleupeaunoire]

I'm sure they're under pressure to keep the ride moving, and might have even been told to ignore the alarm.

[@thefatherrabbit]

@Cincoat I mean, I've heard stories about employees getting in trouble at some parks for pushing the emergency stop button on a ride, so I wouldn't be surprised if they had been told to ignore it. Though it seems more likely they just thought the alarm was broken, which still should have been enough reason to shut the ride down and call maintenance or something.

[@victoriagarcia3078]

I just wanna point out that it was discovered, not long after the girl’s death, that management was encouraging the operator’s to loosen the restraints of the riders whenever it was requested, so I have a feeling that if they did check with management first then they would’ve been told to override it and start the ride, more than likely telling them it was “probably nothing”

[@basbleupeaunoire]

@Cincoat That's not an "excuse." The operators fucked up. We're all speculating about why.

[@MrX3rt]

I rode this ride only a few months before this incident. I legit felt I was not safe with just two seatbelts and nothing to hold onto. Update: since the incident, they have renovated the building, renaming it and adding a shoulder strap. I believe they renamed it crystal cavern or something of the like. The building has the same shape but decorations have changed to match its new name. And yes, it is still open.

[@dricka49221]

What a beautiful little girl. What a horrible tragedy to have happen. The statement, "a parent is not supposed to bury their child", ALWAYS makes me feel ill. Both of my sons are grown with children of their own, and I still cannot IMAGINE losing either one of them nor any of the grandchildren. My parents lost their firstborn to leukemia before I (the 4th child) was born. My parents never did fully recover from this incident. It happened in early December. They ended up celebrating Christmas early that year, and Christmas was never the same after that, which I found out much later. I always wondered why Mom was so opposed to putting up Christmas decorations as early as I wanted to.

[@sharonhopton5685]

I’ve just lost my 28 year old son so my deepest sympathy to the family. It’s so hard ❤️❤️❤️

[@DisasterthonTrueHorror]

I’m sorry for your loss ❤️‍🩹

[@sharonhopton5685]

@@DisasterthonTrueHorror ❤️❤️❤️

[@bkkorner]

Sorry

[@WellZoinks]

That's terrible so young, sorry for your loss :(

[@mykkimc521]

🙏🏾

[@roxannepearls901]

Thank you again for your humanity whilst reminding us how fragile our presence on this plain is.

[@chaoticconjuring]

The poor baby 💔😭 I can’t imagine the grief her parents still endure to this day. “No parent should ever have to bury their child” truer words have never been spoken. My thoughts and prayers are with her family.

[@Lexcoaster]

The fact that staff members didn't individually check the restraints on passengers of the ride as well as choosing to override a warning signal is NOT something that can be sufficiently explained by inadequate training, but points to a laissez-faire attitude towards human life. In every amusement park riders' restraints are indivudually checked, it is standard operating procedure literally everywhere, so to not do this, ESPECIALLY with a child in the seat, is incredibly irresponsible. How on earth did they not even notice she wasn't strapped in?! And to then purposefully ignore a warning signal instead of asking other staff for help is a deliberate choice made by the ride operaters. You do not get a warning signal for shits 'n giggles! This is absolutely gross criminal negligence, not just by the park, but the actual individual operators of the ride. Disgusting.

[@aftonrae4038]

I’ve been on drop towers with the drop down shoulder restraints along with a lap restraint and I promise it is still just as scary as it would be without the shoulder restraint. The only difference is that the ones with shoulder restraints are fun adrenaline inducing scary and without that the ride is just scared of dying scary.

[@AmericanAmy]

Wow that was sad. I had never heard about this case.

[@mystorycontinues1003]

It shook the western slope of Colorado thats for sure 🥺

[@peregrination3643]

I grew up in Glenwood Springs. I knew that after I left they started building some kind of park, but I had no idea so much got built up there. That said, geez, such basic safety precautions were ignored, both by the park and her adult companions. When I was six, I was still getting my car seat belts checked by adults. And I was shocked to hear shoulder restraints didn't exist. I thought that was going to be the story, not that even a regular seat belt wasn't used.

[@missykeatings9114]

A small fine is nothing compared to the life of that beautiful child. Shameful. I hope her family is doing alright. May she rest in peace.

[@nadiascott8370]

Last year at our Franklinton fair in Louisiana my little boy was on a motorcycle ride, he was strapped in riding behind his older brother but he kept going to the side almost to where his leg was hanging out. I had the operator STOP the ride immediately! Everyone had to get off and a child’s mother was complaining the ride wasn’t that long, I told her I looked and felt like my baby was about to fall out of the restraint, she understood. I just got so scared and felt an overwhelming anxiety. I’m so glad I had him to stop the ride l would’ve been devastated if my baby would have fallen off. I thank God for my attention that day🙏🏾

[@Swampy0525]

I’m not surprised something like this happened at that park… My dad actually ended up breaking his back at their park on the mechanical bull because the operator turned the difficulty all the way up and it threw him up and over the safety mat. The operator of the machine looked to be maybe sixteen at most and I’m sure they haven’t abandoned the practice of hiring young and training their staff minimally.

[@bijoumarie8817]

Seriously, I assumed more people had been injured there as it seems pretty sketchy, especially years ago before they upgraded the park and many of the rides.

[@peterdonnelly6804]

Jeepers that is one dangerous place. Hope your dad recovers ok 👍

[@ChelseaRoseKing]

We also had a bad experience there, with the alpine slide. The car in front of my stepdad & daughter’s deviated from the track, they stopped the ride and couldn’t lift the restraints off of some of the cars. No one was badly hurt, but it was pretty scary the way they insisted nothing was wrong when we saw their car hadn’t come back up the track. My daughter and stepdad were the last ones who were able to get out of their car, and walked back up the track. They were super apologetic, and gave us free return tickets- but we never went back 😬

[@Swampy0525]

@@ChelseaRoseKing They also gave us free return tickets… That seems to be their go-to when someone gets non-fatally injured at their park.

[@thefatherrabbit]

@@Swampy0525 Of course, because someone who has been seriously injured will definitely want to come back.

[@WouldntULikeToKnow.]

I don't think you can blame the employees. It was definitely a training issue and seems like the general working environment of the park wasn't very concerned about safety, which absolutely *needs* to come from the top down.

[@bece00]

Definitely the parks fault for not training their ride operators about an integral safety feature

[@nightmaresanyone]

@@bece00 I agree....def not the employees faults; however they should have known to always check to see that EVERY rider is secure. Such a sad and terrible story......I did a video on this story once too. Stay 🩸👻SCARED Everyone! Richard

[@MrChopsticktech]

@@nightmaresanyone She went on the ride with her aunt, why didn't the aunt check for a fastened seat belt? My dad always checked our belts (mine, my brother and sister's), lap bars etc. before he fastened his own and then watched the operator double check them. Also, there is no way he, or my mom would ever let us go on this type of ride at 6 years old!

[@newvision4l314]

If I just started a job at a theme park and I had no idea what to do I would at LEAST make sure everyone is strapped in the ride properly. Have you ever put on a seat belt in the car? It’s not hard to do.

[@ToriCake95]

You actually can. They caused Wongel's death, and her family lifelong trauma.

[@scavenqers]

I’m shocked to have never heard this as I live in the area and have worked near that park many times. Extremely tragic and honestly the most heartbreaking thing I can think of. Sending all my love to the family and our community as a whole.

[@DracoSwordMaster]

The park was fined $68,000?!? How is that reasonable???? $68,000 is nothing for a park that probably makes millions. Absolutely ridiculous

[@WildFyr]

The fact that they were upset that the ride operators WHO WERE NOT TRAINED were not charged just comes off as petty to me. They didn't know what they were doing or probably even how to check, most likely they were teenagers who were just looking for a job and without the proper training on how to use the equipment it's not their fault. The amusement park is 100% at fault for this incident and with the proper training, safety protocols, and checks the seatbelt would have been noticed and the alarm would have made sense to the operators. But without it it's just a flashing light maybe with some noise. No, just because they were not charged does not mean your daughter's life was worth nothing, and their lives are not worth the mistake of their employers either. End of.

[@thegamerboneless2864]

Their is size limitations for a reason, also I always check my kids myself and make sure the attendants double check. I need to see him or her double check the restraints, then I take my seat. I do not sit until my kids are secure. I am not saying this girls family is to blame not at all, the company should’ve had trained employees and the company should’ve paid for the funeral at least. Sad Rip and best wishes to the family

[@tylerdegreef1575]

I feel for the uncle. He's gotta live knowing that he may have been able to save her had he looked for just another second... That'd mess me up good

[@Ett.Gammalt.Bergtroll]

As an uncle to a little girl myself I don’t think I could live with it, to be completely honest…

[@jennyn5692]

He should've made sure she was buckled in. I can't imagine why on earth he didn't, or her aunt either.

[@laprincesadelacocina]

That would fuck me up permanently. That poor baby 😭

[@TheNotoriousNemo]

Yeah that's a tough one, was it low visibility in there so he couldn't see? Either way sometimes does rides barely give you enough time to check yourself.

[@catscanhavelittleasalami]

uncle didn't even check if she was buckled. A good guardian always checks on their kid. He didn't even care enough, not only was she much too young and small for this ride, but her uncle didn't even bother to look at her until she was already splattered on the ground.

[@Emjay_____71]

how sad, poor girl .. Rest In Peace xxx

[@haryx1964]

"Safety is our top priority" "We didn't put in shoulder bars because it's scarier that way" Yeah, the parents sure were terrified alright...as well as that poor little girl, all the way down.

[@whiteyfisk9769]

They paid to be there to be terrified. Her uncle didnt check her and She was the one who sat on top of her buckles....but thats not a surprise given what she was...lol Lmfao even

[@thomaswallace3776]

Go ride the Velocicoaster at Universal, no shoulder bars and there's 0% chance of slipping out so long as you meet the height requirement. Also, the Mindbender at Six Flags GA is the same way.

[@lesliethomas9532]

​@@thomaswallace3776 sp who's fault is it for letting a little girl in

[@LittleBittySaidit]

I quit riding rides and roller coasters when I almost slipped out of one at a very high point, then on the way down I slammed down so hard my back bent in a way it shouldn’t (which broke my ribs and it felt like it bent my lungs). I couldn’t t breath for days. I’m on the smaller side…these rides are only meant to keep an average size person safe. If you are under or over weight/height in any way, you are at more risk than the general average person….even if the ride says you are good to go. My 10yr old son takes after me and refuses to ride any rides. He rode the kiddie swings once with me next to him and he almost flew out which only confirmed my fear. I had to hold his small body down from my swing as the operator never looked our way…so I’m good with my son never riding again! Screw those rides and screw those operators!

[@LittleBittySaidit]

The kiddie swing at this park was like the size of the adult swings at a fair but It didn’t go in circles, it went forward/backwards like a backyard swing set just giant. Every time it came down his entire body tried to come all the way out. He’s light, but I could barely hold him down from my seat…while I was also coming out of my seat.

[@hollies5841]

Another exceptionally well researched, respectful video. Such a sad and unnecessary loss of this innocent little love. Really appreciate the effort you put in to your content, and the consideration you give to the victims and families.

[@DoggosAndJiuJitsu]

You put a six year old on a drop rollercoaster. If we’re pointing fingers let’s make sure everyone gets blamed.

[@purplelove3666]

I was thinking, it's she too young to be on that ride.

[@prettyassyenn]

I have a five year old, I wouldn’t let her get on that ride at all. So sad.

[@maskedsonja5722]

Coaster College did a piece on this as well, so it was interesting to get the different perspectives, great job! Horribly sad when this happens, a child so young. This was done respectfully and thoughtfully well done.

[@cmiller415]

I can’t believe that a tiny 6 year old child was legally allowed to ride that ride. If that’s not an adult only ride I don’t know what is. Prayers to her parents.

[@harrison6143]

A six year old child should not be on a ride like this. When I was that age I couldn't get on some very innocuous rides by comparison because there was a height limit. This is back in the late 70s!

[@hollymartins6913]

I don't have children, but I just don't think I could survive losing my child, especially like this. Such a horrible tragedy.

[@jennyrebecca7243]

Imagine taking your niece or loved one who’s a A CHILD on a roller coaster and just simply allowing their ENTIRE safety process to be solely left in the hands of park attendants. Unimaginable that the adults that were tasked with her safety failed her as well as this theme park. She truly stood no chance with an imbecile uncle and neglectful and terrible staff. Poor baby.

[@michaeltaylor1603]

Being a legal guardian (Aunt/Uncle) or any other care giver MEANS just that! To give care & voice to the innocent and vulnerable. I work in food service. Sometimes condiments or items missing from bag. People raise more of a fuss over "simple missed items" A 6 yr. old child NOT being properly restrained is NOT a simple missed "item". It's fun being aunt/uncle, but entails responsibility.

[@whiteyfisk9769]

Sorry, but its wyte supremacy to take responsibility for your own actions and for your own children. So please cool it with the raycism

[@rebekahwolkiewicz449]

You people are insufferable. Here, this’ll will probably satisfy and make you happy; the family members likely blame themselves every day for not checking, unfairly tormenting themselves and being haunted by it. There. Knowing that, does that make you feel better? Blaming the family who weren’t the ones in charge of the ride? It was dark and unfamiliar and the report said she draped the loose part of the belt over her lap and it was confused for a seatbelt. So insensitive.

[@jameshughes525]

I am so sorry for the loss of that beautiful young girl 😢 I truly don't understand how anyone can recover from something like that just horrific. I have a burning aching feeling in my heart and stomach after watching that story 😢🥺

[@bradythomas234]

Shit like this really pisses me off. As someone who's worked with kids in my life, you need to be extremely cautious around them and double checking to make sure nothing bad happens to them. hearing these stories hurts my heart for the families. I pray that people atleast learn to be more cautious and check everything more to keep people safe

[@webguy943]

Ikr kids do dumb things. Hell i remember i did dumb af things as a kid. Always check them

[@up0820]

Everyone saying she wasn't buckled in, it was neglect blah blah blah, none of that matters. The fact is a six year old should never have been allowed on this type of ride, period!

[@VirgoDoll]

I dont understand how her family members didnt check to make sure she was restrained!! Wth my kids are 17 and 15 and I still check them every time we go on a ride together!! The aunt and uncle are culpable too because how do you secure yourself and not check to see that your tiny lil niece is secure that boggles my mind!

[@rebekahwolkiewicz449]

No, it’s not the aunt and uncle’s fault. They don’t know how the ride works and haven’t read the safety manual. Even if they did know what to do, It’s entirely up to the ride operators to check and ensure the belts are on. It’s ridiculous how people blame family regardless of whether or not they were present, but to make these people feel better, let’s admit this; Yes, these family members are probably haunted every day by this tragedy and probably unfairly blame themselves in hindsight.

[@VirgoDoll]

@@rebekahwolkiewicz449 it is partially their fault you are supposed to check your kids especially a young child... Your telling me they didn't look over and say hey is your belt on? Gtfoh

[@indexoptions]

This so tragic. I’m so sorry to the parents, I hope you both and all loved ones are able to find the strength to continue life with that little girl driving you. My heart aches for her family. Rip

[@noahsulfridge7330]

It is second nature for me to check and help my kids get buckled in before I even start working on my own. I couldn't imagine never laying eyes on the restraint that will hold my child into the ride. Tragic, and I'm sure the parents beat themselves up every day for not simply at least looking down at her lap to check for themselves. I couldn't imagine the guilt.

[@dianecelento4974]

It was the uncle that took her on with her cousins.

[@thaismatsumoto]

You mean the Uncle. The parents were not there. She was visiting her relatives.

[@noahsulfridge7330]

@@thaismatsumoto Ah I see. No, I missed that part. Same applies still though, I'd say.

[@nikkimclay5474]

Uncle not father

[@noahsulfridge7330]

@@jasonvoorhees5640 Lol. Checking my kids' seat belts puts me among the elite class of parenthood. Nice

[@nicoleboltz1118]

Been going thru watching all your videos...these are truly great edits and we'll put together tributes to the victims. Good to see you honor them and inform us at the same time...thanks dude ❤

[@shanebauer8091]

Imagine being a teen ride operator and your buddy who was checking seatbelts said it was all good so you bypass a warning (like you were taught) and now hold yourself accountable for a death. Everybody is putting themselves in the shoes of the family but that would mess with a teen for life.

[@WeRNthisToGetHer]

The parents put their child on a terrifying ride like that and did not make sure for themselves that their own child is safely restrained, and behaving, yet mad at the fact a random stranger isn't prosecuted for what they also failed to do? I feel sorry for the child in a situation with irresponsible adults not looking out for her well being and enforcing boundaries the way she needed. To me it seems like the parents had a responsibility in this as much if not more than inefficiently trained attendants did. I suspect their outrage is from wanting to blame someone else for something they had a part in and get as much money for it as possible. Sickening.

[@tonycave48]

Don’t know why the employees didn’t deal with more consequences, if you hear an alarm and don’t know what it means, DOUBLE CHECK. Ask a manager, ask a co worker, don’t ignore them. I don’t understand how some employees can be so terrible at their job to the point they put someone at risk and not even suffer consequences.

[@thefatherrabbit]

They did check. That's the worst part. They apparently checked all the belts multiple times and still didn't notice that she was sitting on top of the belt, not wearing it.

[@tonycave48]

@@thefatherrabbit it’s just odd to me because a lot of rides i’ve been on, they tug at your seatbelt to make sure its fastened and snug, if they would’ve done that here she would still be alive :/

[@thefatherrabbit]

@@tonycave48 I was thinking that as well. They apparently just tugged on the end of the belt to make sure it wasn't stuck in anything, but didn't check the actual belt. Also it seems like they did know what the alarm meant - something with the seat belts - but they didn't know how to deal with it. They probably thought they'd fixed the problem and then reset the ride because the alarm didn't stop like they expected it to. They should have made everyone get off the ride if they they couldn't figure out what the problem was, because even if it was just a faulty alarm, that's still a problem if the alert system is not working properly.

[@tonycave48]

@@thefatherrabbit yes exactly, which is why in my original post i said how they should’ve double checked instead of just choosing to look past the alarm. At my job i always make sure to double check things and the fact that they’re not being extra careful on rollercoasters is very troubling. And it’s extremely disappointing that they werent held accountable for not taking better precautions, a fine of 68k is no where near enough for someone losing their life due to irresponsibility and negligence.

[@thefatherrabbit]

@@tonycave48 I couldn't believe the prosecutor declined to press charges for criminal negligence. I understand their training was lacking, but it seems like common sense to me that they should have shut the ride down until they figured out the problem. Hell, they could have just made everyone get off, checked all the belts while the ride was empty, then had everyone get back on, and buckled each person in one by one themselves before starting the ride and that still would have been better than this.

[@hopejoons]

oh my heart :( i'm not a parent yet, but as a teacher working with kids her age, the terror is unimaginable. i don't blame the ride operators though - i feel bad for them as i know if i were them, even though it's not their fault by any means due to the park not training them, i would be riddled with guilt for a long time over such an ordeal. condolences to the estifanos family. i hope they can learn to deal with their trauma, especially those who saw what happened.

[@Dark_Goth]

As a mum this breaks my heart, i cant imagine the pain and suffering her family are going through, she was a beautiful little girl who had her whole life ahead of her. I could never go on if i ever lost my son the pain would be to much to handle.

[@j.paulm.1575]

I try not to get fired up online over things but why the hell did no one speak up that not having shoulder restraints to "make the ride scarier" was a HORRIBLE idea?

[@catmacg]

That's crazy that the park of the water ride that collapsed because the teenagers clogged it up on purpose paid out 4 million dollars although they were found to have no blame, yet this ride, which definitely did have blame, paid well less than 100000. Shameful.

[@ovinedreamer1451]

I'm still mad that that waterpark had to pay anything at all. They weren't at fault, it was entirely the fault of the teens that purposefully clogged the slide.

[@SombraCheeks]

All those kids on that slide killed their friend. Only the victims family deserved money

[@ovinedreamer1451]

@@SombraCheeks They deserved money from the kids that killed their friend though, not from the park. The park had a waterslide that was entirely safe to use normally and did have an employee on duty at the top, the poor employee just couldn't stop the stampede since the kids weren't inclined to listen.

[@kandreasworld4374]

Seriously? The park didn't even pay for her funeral?!?!? WTF???? 😡😡😡

[@jillapril]

i’m confused - the parents didn’t notice she wasn’t wearing a belt?

[@DFsteaksalmon]

I went on this ride just in March 2021, and had no idea that a tragedy like this could occur. The entire ride shook me in my seat and I had to hold on my belt. I almost threw up after but im so glad my family wasn’t hurt like this family.

[@FrizzKid05]

The park was only fined $68k when they have employees who didn't know how to respond to improper strap in alarms? That's a huuuuuge oversight...and to only lose that much for a child being killed on your ride is insane.

[@5amH45lam]

I have a 6yr old niece. If I was riding a roller-coaster with/next to her, I'd make sure she was safely strapped into her seat before I buckled my own.