The INFAMOUS "Giant Wheel" Disaster | The Death Of Abiah Jones

[@DisasterthonTrueHorror]

Swear I put this to come out at four, whatever merry Christmas ahhaa

[@Areniapixie]

I’m not complaining 😂 Merry Christmas 🎄 Happy holidays to everyone ❤

[@msstarlight4770]

Happy holidays and best wishes for a healthy and happy new year. : ) 👍💜☺

[@jessicad83]

It's 0030 Friday morning here in Australia haha Merry Christmas my dude 🎄🎅

[@DisasterthonTrueHorror]

@@Areniapixie merry Christmas! 🎄

[@DisasterthonTrueHorror]

@@msstarlight4770 back at you!

[@frogganna]

That just goes to show, no matter how mature and responsible you think your child is, they are still a CHILD and lack the knowledge only living life can give you. Expect them to make bad decisions and in this case, it was a fatal bad decision.

[@meganlouise9007]

I love this comment. It makes me feel much better about the mistakes of my childhood

[@BoxOKittens]

Agreed. The best lessons are taught through experience, and kids just don't have much experience in anything yet. That makes it easy for them to make mistakes, and sadly in this case it had fatal consequences.

[@felicia2131]

Yes great comment!! So glad you stated this❤. Reflecting over my own life; I was in AP courses, very mature, and I didn't get caught up with the wrong crowd. However, I've learned so much more in my adult life than I ever did in school or college. I'm 34 years old and still learning. Somethings truly come with time and age. My condolences to this family. No parent should have to go through this... Hope you guys in the chat have safe and Happy Holidays 🙏🏼 ❤️

[@Utubesanarc]

@@meganlouise9007 it shouldn't you should still feel shame. yet growing from it would have been the right output.

[@meganlouise9007]

@@Utubesanarc wow ok, I'll just hate myself for the rest of my life then. The mistakes in referring to aren't done cardinal sin, they're stupid things I did that are embarrassing.

[@kattriella1331]

She probably just stood up to get a better view of what was around her, and fell. She may have even stood up in the seat to see over the railing. We'll never know for sure. I remember being a kid and thinking "I'm going to do a thing" that, looking back on it as an adult, could have easily gotten me injured or killed. You don't think about that as a child. You don't have that idea in your head yet that death is a thing that can happen to you. Her childhood innocence is very possibly what ended up killing her, and to me that's the saddest part of all.

[@ChristelVinot]

one time when I was a kid I thought, "what if I jumped off this high thing onto the couch?" and I did it. And I busted my lip. coulda bashed my head. lol.

[@DisasterthonTrueHorror]

@@ChristelVinot I once swung off the lighting thinking I was Tarzan, luckily the Electric was off, we do dumb shit man😂

[@Utubesanarc]

@@DisasterthonTrueHorror i used to jump from a 13ft pole at the park and landing it just right on the sand. Now i think if i would have barely leaned a foot slightly id have got a broken ankle.

[@Mrs.Self.Distruct]

Sounds logical, I wonder how no one saw anything though

[@alis3656]

That is so true I used to sled downstairs on a giant body pillow glad I didn't kill myself used to also bike on wrong side of road without helmet and swerved to avoid cars kids are dumb apparently

[@Rinmay]

From the minor research I did, her family was denied in the case they filed for two reasons. 1. They went against a law that says you need to file for a case like this within 90 days of the accident. (They waited 2 years) 2. They didn't have any concrete physical evidence that the company or school was at fault. So the case hit a roadblock and appears to have been dropped.

[@DisasterthonTrueHorror]

I did read this, but was confused. I thought the 90 days bit was for the counter sue (Morey's pier blaming the school) ? But yeah thankyou, It wasn't clear to me which is why I left it out

[@Rinmay]

@Disasterthon - True Horror they didn't seek damages from the pier but did from the school. The pier responded with increased safety measures, or so the court documents appears to suggest. The family also asked to go to a jury trial but I didn't find evidence that they took the pier to court. But there was the countersue from Morey's to the school.

[@DisasterthonTrueHorror]

@@Rinmay interesting, Thankyou

[@holdencawffle626]

They wanted to cash in after 2 years? Negligence

[@shannonhill3356]

@@holdencawffle626yup. That was it. They just wanted a payday… You are seriously stupid, dude.

[@Areniapixie]

The bit that sticks with me is the fact she was on the ride by herself on a school trip. It should always be at least pairs on a school trip. That’s how it was growing up, you never went anywhere alone. There was always a teacher nearby too. I understand that she stood up and shouldn’t have but I lean more towards blaming the school 🤔 Completely tragic and avoidable, I feel terrible for her parents 💔

[@DisasterthonTrueHorror]

Yeah, Completely tragic and avoidable!

[@lonesomebeetroot3376]

I know anytime we were paired up at that age for a field trip when we weren’t allowed to choose our partner, everyone (or a lot of us) would sort of ditch our partner and partner up with one of our friends instead. Sometimes you couldn’t find your people and you’d end up alone or with some other straggler.

[@mikaross4671]

yeah, whenever I went on school trips, we were always paired with other kids or at least one adult who volunteered their time. It's just beyond sad to me that she was allowed to ride alone as an 11 year old. We'll never truly know why she stood up or what truly happened.

[@exexsa]

Even if she was with another student, chances are that it may still have happened.

[@erynlasgalen1949]

There's no certainty that a 'buddy' would have been able to prevent her from standing up. Kids are kids, and they will do reckless things. This was very sad and tragic.

[@rideman909]

I worked for Moreys piers, and I have personally done numerous maintenance inspections on that ride myself. There is absolutely no way to fall out of that car unless you're doing something wrong. If she were standing up when the ride was stopped, and then all the sudden it started, she most likely lost her balance and went over the side. As far as her being alone in the car, I have never seen that before on that ride. It was clearly stated no single riders.

[@randyadams1312]

Exactly. She should have never stood up on the ride. Too many kids are reckless today. I saw children playing foot ball in a major train station last week and twice the dropped the ball on the tracks and jumped down on the tracks to get them. One time they stepped on the third rail. Security kicked them out. If they were hit by a train or were electrocuted the parents would blame the drive, security and MBTA.

[@juliagreen423]

If it’s clearly stated that single riders are strictly prohibited, how do you know it was her actions that ultimately caused her to fall? It sounds like she (a child) trusted the adult ride operators to set her up for a safe ride and they failed to establish basic safeguards for her. 💔 her mistake was likely something that would not have been fatal, if only the ride operators hadn’t sent her alone. Not her fault

[@jazzabighits4473]

@@randyadams1312 What do you mean third rail?

[@shawny2scrawny]

@@jazzabighits4473 As insensitive as his comment is, the third rail is the rail supplying electricity to a subway/train.

[@jazzabighits4473]

@@shawny2scrawny Oh okay, I'm Aussie and the electricity on our trains is supplied from overhead lines, not the track

[@littletrebleclef]

She probably stood up to look around. I feel like people don't think Ferris Wheels can be dangerous.

[@fabioderossi1097]

They definitely should be so easy to fall out of. If standing up is enough to cause someone to die, then I would say "dangerous" is a massive understatement.

[@DF-ov1zm]

It is definitely not the case that she just stood up and immediately falls out. If it was so easy, people would fall of these wheels every single hour.

[@Leecb5]

Specially a child … who’s not knowledgeable

[@just_ben1951]

@@DF-ov1zm If she stayed in her seat, she would have stayed alive. Ferris wheels are tame and safe if you stay in your seat.

[@DF-ov1zm]

@just_ben1951 Yeah, I know. But people do that all the time, and nobody falls

[@LibbyKay188]

I think the saying "curiosity killed the cat" applies here. I think she was just very young, didn't understand the dangers. Probably stood up, wanted to look over the edge. Maybe the wheel stopped or learched as they often do to allow passengers to get on and off, and the sudden movement caused her to fall. I wouldn't say anyone is to 'blame'. I would just say this was very unfortunate and tragic situation that came from a curious child. She should have had an adult supervising her. RIP Abiah.

[@truesoulghost2777]

Also next to ocean would be pretty windy and those rock. I agree with you though

[@Trenchcoat3]

Darwin strikes again

[@ToLovelyJesus]

@@Trenchcoat3This was a child. Save the Darwin awards for yourself.

[@PeskyCrowKaw]

Hes right though. Child or not it's text book Darwinism.

[@MelissaWickersham-k4o]

@@ToLovelyJesus The official Darwin Awards website does not allow 11 year old children to be candidates for Darwin Awards precisely because children that young are not mature enough to understand the consequences of their actions.

[@heavenlycrow3961]

As someone who worked in an amusement park for seven years as a ride op, and have also been at Murray’s Pier almost every year since I was three-twenty five, I can honestly say the people operating the rides are usually very young teens, international individuals that have difficulty understanding and speaking English (no offense to them) and often I spotted a lot of things that would get me fired on the spot at my own job. I also know from experience in working with really young children at the kiddie rides, that a safety belt is easily removable and kids will take them off even when told not to so I do not believe this poor young girl had she had one, would have kept it on if she had it in her mind to go over and check out the ledge. I will say, the strict two person rule on Ferris Wheels should ALWAYS be adhered to not just for children but for adults and I think you understand why I say that. I worked the Ferris wheel many times at my own park and it was one of the nicer ones to work at but any time we had a single rider they were NOT allowed to ride alone. One thing I will say to any parents with kids as a former ride op myself - there may be paid employees that are meant to check your children’s safety but most of these people are there for a paycheck and are usually kids themselves; please double check your children. I yelled at fellow workers I’ve been paid with for not properly checking restraints and have had parents verbally harass me when turning away a child under our safety restrictions for their own safety. I’d your child is too short - do not tempt fate. Your kid may be disappointed about not being able to ride the roller coaster, but at least you will know they’re coming home with you.

[@forgottensage-o5o]

Wow, you are EXACTLY the knowledge person who needs to comment on this.

[@Riverlovesfood]

Or you could ride the ride with them to make sure they are safe

[@heavenlycrow3961]

@@Riverlovesfood Riding a ride with your kid doesn't change that the restraints are not made for child riders. The safety bars and harnesses were designed with a teen/adult body in mind.

[@Riverlovesfood]

@@heavenlycrow3961 I agree I’m just saying if she really stood up like people are saying then if her parents were there they could’ve stopped her from standing up or tried catching her if she fell

[@sharongrigg5336]

This was a combination of fault by the school & the park, this young girl should never have been allowed to ride alone. On school trip's we were always paired up, had to stay together but the fact they allowed this child on this huge ride alone is unbelievable. What a complete tragedy & my heart break's for this beauty's family. On a lighter note merry Christmas everyone from the UK

[@willforeverpubg4235]

Agree with you on the school trips.The public schools trips I've want on we eat together, We walk together, We will never leave each other in get lost,If one have to use the bathroom, The Teacher and follow students will wait until one us finish use the bathroom.

[@poemone2257]

My school did that too, Even at water parks where the water was very shallow my school had groups of 4. Two older kids, two younger, and an adult or two watching. And they had a planned schedule so they can keep track of kids and all the adults had either each other's numbers or a walkie. I am shocked the school let students go off by themselves in this case.

[@Karamarika]

@Poe Moné it's not shocking at all. This is an amusement park. You can't supervise the children that closely. I went on a school trip to what was then called Great America for 8th grade. It was a tradition for 8th grade students at my school. When we got there, they let us all run off to enjoy the park and we had to meet back up at a specific time. Kids generally went off in small groups. Mine was myself and my 2 best friends at the time. I don't recall there being any sort of requirement for us to be in small groups. This girl was only a year younger than I was then, so it makes sense that the school handled it in a similar way. This is not the school's or the park's fault. Unfortunately, it's the fault of a child that was old enough to know better than to get up at the top of a ferris wheel. I would be glued to my seat at that age. You couldn't pay me to stand up or look over the edge.

[@poemone2257]

@@Karamarika you absolutely can supervise children. It's called supervising them and not sending them off on their own to do whatever and having plans set in place.

[@dorothyrichardson3141]

Y'all are sick in the head for blaming this on a young child. She panicked maybe, whatever was the case but she should not have been alone period whatever school you went to that let minors supervise themselves are lucky they haven't had any tragedies. Smh an 11 year old girl lost her life be more considerate

[@NOBODYCARES-i6p]

This story is what terrifies me for school trips. I remember growing up with a friend of mine and she was never allowed to go on school trips with the class unless her parents were picked to chaperone. She would never attend theme parks or water parks with the class ever. Years later I found out her mother lost her sister to an amusement park field trip for the same sort of neglect. She didn’t trust the teachers and ride operators to keep her children safe

[@hannahlee1740]

I’m going to agree that the school is to blame. I went to a summer camp every summer as a kid that went to the fair every year and I went to six flags with my school multiple times. Not ONE TIME were we allowed to board a ride alone. You either went with an adult/teacher or another student. You never EVER rode alone, some of my favorite memories from those trips are riding with the teachers. It’s heartbreaking to think something that could have been such a fun and memorable experience had she went with an adult, was her last. Rest in peace sweet girl❤️

[@danielgouge4639]

The school should have been banned from field trips for a year.

[@jacksyoutubechannel4045]

It's different all over. I went on a lot of school trips, including trips to Six Flags, New York City, California, Disney World, etc., etc. I didn't have any guidelines about pairing up or not pairing up. Usually just, "We're going to meet back at the buses at 8:45; have fun and remember to make good choices." I think, especially when we were in theme/amusement parks, that the school saw our safety as the responsibility of the park, and the students as individually responsible to following park guidelines. Personally, I think that was fair. There could never be enough adults to monitor every kid on a trip, and part of raising a child is the part where you back off (especially in situations where there's external safety measures -- like those of a theme park) and let the child experience some responsibility. Whatever happened here was unusual. I might have been a little concerned if I was the parent of a boy going on the trip (more physical, roughhouse more with friends, play pranks with unforeseen consequences, etc.), but I wouldn't ever expect a tween girl to die falling from a ferris wheel with bars and a locking door. (I know we, and this case, are of a bit of a different time, but I can't imagine a school today seeing a child going on a ride alone as a greater liability than a child riding a ride alone with an adult. Even as a camp counselor when I was young, we weren't allowed to be one-on-one with campers, so that we'd always have a witness in case an accusation was made. I think that sort of concern is even more heightened today.

[@kristingallo2158]

Lol how was it the schools fault?

[@haleystewart94]

It is not the schools fault at all it’s the girls fault for standing up while on the damn ride there are rules for each damn ride for a reason

[@MakerInMotion]

As if another child being present prevents children from doing reckless things.

[@kait4586]

I feel like a lot of the fault has to fall on the school here. How was she able to get on that ride alone? Where were the adults/teachers? I have many questions, but my heart goes out to the family. As a parent that’s had a child pass away, I know how absolutely raw and earth shattering that pain is. I hope they are healing.💛 Edit: I’ll add it here. Yes, if you don’t have enough teachers/parents/faculty to watch out for the students on a field trip to a busy amusement park, cancel the trip.

[@Lana-un2qk]

We didn't had teachers with us at that age

[@Lana-un2qk]

I'm so sorry

[@Karamarika]

@@Lana-un2qk exactly. It's not uncommon for kids to be allowed to run around an amusement park on their own during school trips. It's not the same as a tour of a museum or something.

[@kait4586]

@@Karamarika our senior trip was to Hershey Park and I saw my teachers everywhere, at 17. I’m definitely putting blame on the school. They took the kids. They are their responsibility. Especially letting an 11 year old run around on her own in Wildwood, NJ? No, I refuse to blame a child.

[@GodStillHatesUs]

Right? Perfect example for why you need chaperones on school trips no matter where they’re going. In cases where the teacher gets overwhelmed, they might have made all the difference. What a phone call to receive as a parent. It’s gotta be the most earth shattering news anyone can go thru. No parent should have to bury their children.

[@OfficialLeahJude]

That poor kid. There are almost never belts on Ferris/Observation wheels. I’ve never quite understood why. There are quite a few where you can stand up like the one at Icon Park in Orlando. I personally like being able to move around. That girl should never have been alone though. She may have had a spell of vertigo or a panic attack. I think the park should be at fault for the simple fact, they should have put someone in there with her. It was obvious she was a child.

[@DisasterthonTrueHorror]

"She may have had a spell of vertigo or a panic attack" - I believe so, it's easy to happen if you've never experienced it before

[@Karamarika]

What would that other person have done? It would not be their responsibility to keep her from standing up. What if they encouraged her to stand up? What if they were one of those idiots that like to make the car swing around while at the top? Having another person with her likely would not have changed the outcome

[@OfficialLeahJude]

@@Karamarika I’m not sure. A little kid should never be sent up to over 150 feet in the air on a ride unattended though.

[@inlinechris]

@@OfficialLeahJude 11 really isn’t that little to ride something alone lol

[@OfficialLeahJude]

@@inlinechris Didn’t turn out too well in this case. Saying that 11 isn’t too little lacks nuance. It comes down to the kid, the ride, and the circumstances.

[@rebekahwolkiewicz449]

I’ve always been afraid of how open and anything-goes Ferris wheel carriages are… even as a kid, the way my sister could move around would scare me. I enjoyed it but never felt safe, even in secured ones with no way out. My sister was an oblivious, stubborn type. It’s a miracle she never had an accident like this.

[@KittyCelestialx]

County Fair “carriage” ferris wheels always terrified me, there were no seatbelts, and the doors did not have a locking mechanism (at least not a good one). My parents would let me and my brother go on together and it was the scariest 5 minutes of my life; I was 8 and he was 4, he was so oblivious at the time that he would try to stand up and go straight towards the open door while 50-ish feet in the air. Needless to say I had to basically hold onto him for dear life so he wouldn’t run out to his death. Surprised there hasn’t been any cases (to my knowledge) about this type of accident

[@AZambri1]

Not really sure how ferris wheels can be scary. If you stay seated and enjoy the view, you will be fine. I've been on that ferris wheel and many, many others and I've never felt unsafe. The ride isn't meant for people to get up and walk around. NO rides are meant for people to get up and walk around. Oy.

[@nenebrat2389]

@@AZambri1 Just because you don't get scared by them doesn't mean the same for everyone else. People really need to learn that their experiences and perceptions are not law and only applies to themselves.

[@AZambri1]

@@nenebrat2389 Well, then, if it is scary to some, then they should stay off of it. People really need to learn their limitations.

[@rebekahwolkiewicz449]

@@AZambri1 I never stood up and walked around. I was just afraid of the obvious danger if I did. So I held onto my parents for dear life. When you’re a kid, imagination is the scariest thing. I imagined myself sliding from my mother’s arms and under the ‘gate’ like the floor was ice. Even me as a kid recognized how carefree the design was.

[@Mangomamiii_]

I went on this ride in like 2017, my sister forced me to go on and I’m very scared of heights and I literally had a panic attack while on it. It’s extremely high. I never knew this happened, kinda makes it surreal for me. This is so sad, rip

[@Forflipsake]

This beautiful girl is the same age as my son and just thinking about him going on a trip and something tragic like this happening made me physically sick. I really hope the parents are doing better because how something like this is soul destroying. RIP Abia. 🕊

[@briannemarie9214]

If it makes you physically sick, don't watch....

[@kyoakland]

Same

[@zeeeboss5811]

She obviously stood up and fell from unbalance

[@elliecee2034]

I remember this. We frequent the Jersey shore and I've been on this ferris wheel multiple times. After her accident they've become more strict with how many people can get on. My heart breaks for her and her family to this day ❤️

[@dianecelento4974]

RIP Sweet Angel

[@angelaf5040]

Because of the risk of panic, I don't think a child that young should be allowed on without an adult or alone. I panicked on a Farris wheel when I was 10 and tried to jump off. It was 3-4 stories high. If my sister-in-law (25years old) had not been there I most likely would have died. Panic does crazy things to your head. I think in situations where panic is within the realm of possibility, no one should ride alone.

[@LauraBow]

Even if the school made sure people were in groups that doesn't mean the group couldn't have ditched her at the first opportunity. That happened to me on a trip once and looking back I'm lucky nothing happened to me while I was wondering around riding stuff alone.

[@maccaattacka]

yeah I remember that happening to me too once when I went on a trip to dorney park… I only went on the swings alone tho cuz I didn’t want to go on other rides alone

[@ejakaegypt]

Problem was that they let her ride alone and she was a child. This breaks my heart

[@Numb217]

I don’t know if this will help, but there is a chance she chose to ride alone. I always wanted my own seat. Sometimes there are just an odd number of people and I would always plead to be the one alone. Sometimes you have no choice and have to sit with a stranger. I don’t think sitting alone was the problem. Maybe if the other person was an adult it would have made a difference, but you can’t have an adult for every child on a field trip. She probably would have still stood up to yell at her friends with a peer.

[@SkittlesGirl65]

Your right. To allow her @ 11 on a dangerous ride alone, shows to me they are responsible for her death.(speaking of the school and the personnel ride operators)

[@davemccage7918]

When you say “they” you’re of course referring to her parents, right?

[@PeskyCrowKaw]

No it was all on her.

[@ashpit666]

To be honest I think the girl stood up to look over to see and then fainted with the height that she was at. I cant think of really any other scenario. But I do agree that it should be more like a cage or at least bars that go to top so no one can get out of it at all. Terrible that they lost their daughter, i couldn't imagine, love and peace to the family. RIP to the girl.

[@harrystylessupremacy2883]

yes exactly! and if the rules were followed by operators and they made someone else go on with her, maybe she wouldnt have fainted from the stress most likely caused by being alone on such a scary ride. so terrible.

[@anonamoss78]

another scenario could be she jumped on purpose, suicide. u cant rule it out, children as young as 10 have ended themselves.

[@aniquaford1447]

I knew this girl personally 😔 may she continue to rest in peace this was so sad & it’s still upsetting everytime I think about it ! She was such a sweet fun playful lil girl

[@jeremiahgotaura]

Yeah right, proof?

[@rain-gx2nq]

@@jeremiahgotauraliterally, not yo say she’s lying abt knowing her but I hate when ppl lie abt knowing someone jus because their death went “viral” it’s sick.

[@anonamoss78]

do u think she could of jumped to commit suicide considering u knew her?

[@beastdude09-Official]

I doubt that

[@joleenshadows]

When I was a kid I was terrified of falling out of the ferris wheel. I never even liked to go on them. I just don't understand how some people don't realize the danger.

[@aleesharenea1477]

a childs mindset They don't understand about danger. Or think oh this can kill me?? They minds so innocent they don't think about that. It's the Adults that have to teach them.

[@SombraCheeks]

There is really 0 danger, it is the slowest and most boring ride.

[@Drakewyrm]

Not every child is a bright one...

[@MsPopeye65]

What a terrible tragedy!…. The loss of your child at any age is so awful… and that pain is a life long loss…. I don’t think that the ride itself was at fault… but I do think that it’s apparent that the children were not being supervised properly by the school trip support staff?… and at just 11 years old she should NEVER have been allowed onto the Ferris wheel unsupervised?…. Just my thoughts.. My love goes out to her family and friends ❤

[@joshcurtiss8071]

Keep up the great work Disasterthon! It's very important for people to know of these tragedies, as they can happen at any moment in time to anyone. I will always enjoy your content. Nice job!

[@jstra]

Very sad but I think the investigators reached the right conclusion on this one.

[@TrevorCollin_]

@@FucU4ever You're like one of those money-grubbing people that will sue for anything. They didn't have anything to sue on.

[@TrevorCollin_]

It was a school fault, not the parents nor the amusement parks fault. And no Ferris wheels don't need safety belts. Hell California adventure from Disney has a swinging gondola that almost makes the gondola ghost completely sideways and they don't have seat belts and nobody's ever been hurt nor has anybody ever been hurt on those since the 1800s

[@symphonyhowlett]

@@TrevorCollin_The 1800s???? Amusement parks didn't exist in the 1800s. But yes it is partly the parks fault as they allowed a minor to ride alone and that goes against the parks regulations

[@XiaoXiaoMan1123]

@@symphonyhowlett The world's first Ferris wheel was constructed in 1893. The US's oldest theme park, Lake Compounce, was established in 1846. Obviously Intamin coasters weren't a thing in the 1800s, but even at this point I feel like we're getting needlessly lost in the semantics.

[@TrevorCollin_]

@@symphonyhowlett 1895!

[@talesfromtheleashexpatdogl1426]

A seat belt wouldn’t have kept her fro falling because she wanted out and would have just unbuckled it. The fault lies solely with the adults whom her parents entrusted her with on that day…I.E. school staff

[@Rae0f_Sunshine]

Unfortunately school staff can’t stop each student from doing something reckless unless they have a 1:1 ratio - and even then it isn’t guaranteed I am surprised there was no buddy system for the kids. Or maybe there was and she got separated from that person?

[@Karamarika]

The only person that could have prevented this is her. She is the one that chose to do something clearly unsafe at the top of a ferris wheel. She was old enough to know better.

[@444kells]

@@Karamarika she was a child.. kids don’t expect their actions to possibly lead to fatality. No matter how “old enough” you think they are. She should’ve never went on that ride alone.

[@CHI_34_85]

@@444kellsk 11 years old is old enough to know better. I knew even before I was eleven to follow the rules of rides, or terrible things could happen. This, "but they are only children and don't know any better" excuse is really degrading to the children. Kids are much smarter and aware of things than you realize. Unfortunately, some are not. As rough as it sounds, it is natural selection. Many adults still do stupid things, and many pay with their lives.

[@ezraoberheim1081]

@@444kells When I was 11 I surely knew better than to fuck around on amusement park rides, and especially ones that I would have to physically climb out of the car to fall out of.

[@l1z4rdon7]

I believe in the theory that she went to look over the edge and perhaps fainted. It’s definitely natural for anyone to look over and see what’s below them. She probably didn’t know how she felt about being at great heights and either fainted from the combined shock and stress of being so high up without anything to hold onto or consciously instinctively fell to the floor and lost her balance along the way, making her tip forward and out of the carriage. Just going up on an escalator to the 2nd floor of a building makes me scared to lose my balance. I cling onto the railing and can feel my balance shift and it freaks me out like crazy. And that’s just going up 10-15 feet from the ground level.

[@Trenchcoat3]

I’m sorry but that is just ludicrous, fearful going up an escalator? How do you manage to do literally anything in life being that soft?

[@PeskyCrowKaw]

​@@Trenchcoat3the same way you make it through life being so easily offended.

[@Trenchcoat3]

@@PeskyCrowKaw That wasn’t offended that was surprised 😂

[@holyheretic3185]

The parents have a point that can help save from death or injury and school bus involved in a crash. We had kids climbing over and seats, walking around, hanging out the window. Like wtf...

[@opheliak5548]

At my home park, no one is allowed to ride alone. This is such a sad, preventable tragedy

[@mikaross4671]

She should have never been allowed to ride alone, but demanding seatbelts and restraints for a Ferris wheel is pretty ridiculous. I think the main issue was she was alone and only 11. It's tragic either way.

[@sapfire1013]

I remember this. My school took us on our 8th grade end of the year trip. My friends and I were about to ride the Ferris Wheel but something told me not to go on. A while later, we heard ambulances and we saw her getting taken on a stretcher. It was absolutely horrifying. They had to shut down the water park (the Wheel was behind one of the water parks attractions). They claimed some of her blood was found in the area. A few hours later, news crew arrived and were interviewing witness. At first, the news and media claimed she committed suicide but that was false. Her friends were explaining to everyone in the park that they were all scared to go on the Ferris Wheel but she was the only one that wanted to go on. The Wheel did not have any seats belts. She apparently looked down from the top of the Ferris wheel and passed out and fell. I still remember it to this day. I can’t imagine losing a child while their on a school trip.

[@sean734]

They did not shut down the water park. There was a duck boat ride under the Ferris Wheel they shut down which is a “dry ride” (not part of the water park).

[@billyodom5353]

There was a interview on the radio when this story first came out stating that before bia got on the wheel her and her friends got in a argument about not wanting to do everything together and wanting to do things with other people and bia ran away from the conversation crying before getting on the wheel. The parent of her former friend suggested that Bia only stood up and climbed out thinking she would get hurt and make her friends feel bad for leaving her. The interview was very short and cut early as the parent started suggesting suicide or what the parent said as unknown sucide that when bia climbed out the car she thought she would only get hurt not die and did not understand the real consequences of falling from that height.

[@DisasterthonTrueHorror]

Seriously!??

[@billyodom5353]

Yes i was down there two days later and it was on the radio. I believe they got money from the school also

[@anonamoss78]

ive been searching for this comment, suicide is what comes to my mind, emotions and fall out with friends at that age is handled differently to adults and adults seem to forget that. she may even of jumped to end herself, i know u say she did it not realizing the consequences but to be fair no one was up there with her to know what she was thinking. i am open to that possibility tho but im inclined to believe suicide. i cant believe no one else is mentioning this, everyone's saying theres no other possible scenario than standing up to look and fell...i find that hard to believe, no one except u has mentioned suicide or for want of a better phrase 'attention seeking'. poor girl.

[@anonamoss78]

mayvbe they suggested she didnt realize the consequences of falling and did it to make her friends feel bad as to soften the blow of out right saying suicide. Actually my 1st thought b4 suicide was 'who was in the car with her and maybe pushed her', but being alone ruled that out. Someone in the comments who worked that ride says its impossible to just fall out.

[@MelissaWickersham-k4o]

11 year old children aren’t quite old enough to understand the permanence of death, are they? They might not be old enough to fully comprehend the concept of their own mortality.

[@Frooooooo]

Even if she didn't stand up, judging by the look of the gondola and the fact that she was alone, the gondola would be tilted and unstable since it only has weight on one side (which was wherever Abiah was standing or sitting). This won't be apparent when the gondola is stationery or moving slowly, but due to the strong wind and the fact that it is high up there, it would be even more tilted and unstable. she could be trying to balance the gondola when it was tilting or shaking and then lost her balance and fell. Nobody should ride that gondola alone, regardless of whether there is any seatbelt or anything to restrain a person inside or not. This is simple Physics.

[@ChickenFerLei]

I remember when this happened. I grew up and still go to Wildwood. I’ve been on that boardwalk and those rides. Love that place but man, that Ferris wheel is HUGE!! You can see it from miles away…

[@winklepicking3202]

This is so extremely sad, what makes me sad about this beautiful girl losing her life is that she was alone on a school trip… where was a friends? Why was she alone on a fun school trip? Was she being bullied, could this have been a contributing factor? RIP beautiful.

[@lmcclellanrn]

There were multiple schools there on field trips that day. Most of our local schools send seventh or eighth graders there every year for a field trip. Since this happened in New Jersey, it is not legal to let single riders on Ferris wheels anymore. Also they added higher bars to that particular Ferris wheel cars. It’s always windy there, so I don’t know why their parents would think wind is a factor. So sad for them and everyone else there. I know my niece happened to witness this and it was horrible.

[@rebekahwolkiewicz449]

So did the school even noticed she was gone?! They left even though she wasn’t went them?! Did they even know what happened to her?

[@arshianoob]

School ☕

[@elizabethroberts8588]

What???? Did you even listen to the video?? The school left AFTER the girl was taken to the hospital. The school was still there with her when the incident happened, she wasn’t left alone, she was alone in her little carriage thing on the Ferris wheel. Other school mates were on the ride also but in different carriages then her

[@Trenchcoat3]

You must have SEVERE comprehension issues 😂

[@SarasvatiM95-eg7co]

Not sure what even gave you that idea.

[@oevilone]

A lot of times if you can't find an update it's because it was settled out of court. The parents had one strong point in their case and that was that she was allowed to ride by herself when there was a rule there should be at least two. Since the park let her ride alone, that showed negligence on park's part. If she had been an adult, one could argue contributory negligence, such as she should have known better; however, she was a child by herself and probably assumed it would be safe to stand up. I believe the park probably paid her parents something but there is no amount of money that can help the parents and their grief.

[@annaisntcool]

I was there when this tragic incident happened. it was my 8th grade class field trip that day and a lot of other schools had field trip groups there that day too. i did not see anything graphic, but a few of my friends & classmates witnessed the fall and they needed counseling afterwards. i’ll never forget the horror of that day.

[@meceve]

I was born and raised in the town only 15 minutes south of where this happened. I was a freshman in high school and vividly remember hearing about it. People around town were talking about how one of the pools from the waterpark that was directly below the Ferris Wheel was just filled with her blood. There were a lot of rumors going around that she committed su!cide. After that incident, Morey’s added plexiglass to all the cars on the Ferris Wheel and made it a rule that no single riders are allowed. That poor girl’s death still haunts me to this day 😢

[@JarethTheGoblinKingForever]

So sad... it always shocks me just how many of these theme park accidents there are. It makes me feel lucky that my own childhood was never marred by a memory of one of these. I remember hearing about Debbie Stone in an urban legend book, and the West Edmonton Mall disaster from my aunt, but it wasn't until I started watching this channel that I realized how many of these accidents there are. Another interesting (but no less eerie) area of theme park disasters now finally being talked about are animal attacks. My friend is a relative of the girl killed by Tilikum in the Sealand of the Pacific disaster back in the 90s, and nobody wanted to talk about it... after the tragic death of Dawn Brancheau at SeaWorld, people finally started talking about the ethics of keeping dangerous animals for theme parks.

[@kattriella1331]

I mean, the number of accidents makes sense if you take into account the sheer volume of people visiting theme parks around the world each year. Hundreds of millions of visitors to parks around the world means that the "one in million" chance of something bad happening is, statistically, going happen with at least some frequency. That being said, we seriously need to stop keeping whales in giant bathtubs for the sole purpose of human entertainment. They're too intelligent to be complacent in that sort of situation. They quite literally go stir crazy, and when a multi ton mammal with the capacity for anger finally snaps, it's never pretty.

[@Karamarika]

@KattriellaDoesStuff keeping whales in captivity was the single best thing to ever happen for the conservation of them in the wild. No one cared about whales before Sea World. These animals are ambassadors for their species. It gives people an opportunity to see a creature they likely would never have the chance to see in the wild. It helps us to appreciate how intelligent and beautiful they are so that we care about what happens to them. All of the times that a killer whale killed a human in captivity have been primarily the fault of the human. These accidents did not happen because of the whale being in captivity, unless you want to blame the fact that it gave a person easier access to the whale. Tilikum attacked the guy that trespassed because he jumped in the pool like a moron and did who knows what. He attacked the trainer (the later one) because they were low on fish that day and she wasn't paying attention to the clear signs Tilikum was giving that showed his frustration with this fact. The first one killed by Tilikum can be blamed partially on the park because that place was not stimulating the whale enough and he was bored. Sea World does a much better job at that.

[@JarethTheGoblinKingForever]

@@Karamarika You don't know anything about Tilikum's past (look up "raking"), but in any case, there is nothing good for conservation about what SeaWorld does. Making whales and seals do tricks like poodles for crowds of screaming tourists is about as educational as Here Comes Honey Boo Boo taken as an accurate depiction of Americans. You want to really learn about whales? Book a whale-watching tour with an Indigenous group where you'll get to see the whales in their natural habitat. These, beautiful, gentle creatures get no dignity at SeaWorld, and Tilikum spent the rest of his life in solitary isolation until he died.

[@ChristelVinot]

@@Karamarika No ma'am. NO whale can be happy and thriving under those conditions. It just can't happen. You're living in a fantasy where whales are happy in tanks. They are absolutely NOT.

[@Karamarika]

@Jareth The Goblin King look at you missing the point. No one cared to learn about whales before these shows. They got people interested. It's not about watching a lecture about whale behavior. It's about sparking wonder and awe for the creatures so that people care about them enough to want to save them. That's what Sea World and other places like that have done. There is nothing wrong with teaching tricks to animals. It's stimulating for them to learn and they enjoy the treats they get. Most places that have animals like this go to great lengths to keep them happy. They also help to keep these animals from going extinct. Did you know there are more tigers in captivity than in the wild? These places serve a purpose and are needed.

[@NoJusticeNoPeace]

If it wasn't publicized, it means there was a private settlement. Lawsuits like this aren't about winning, they're about having enough plausibility that they don't get thrown out prima facie. This forces the defendents to pay for lawyers, so the insurance company will settle for an amount somewhat smaller than they'd pay for defending the case.

[@catholicfemininity2126]

What the? A witness said she stood up and fainted????? That sounds horrifying. Poor kiddo. Looking over the ledge can make anyone dizzy. I pray for her soul and family, and all involved plus those who witnessed. There should be restraints or if not, then no kids by themselves.

[@mariakerberus1017]

This is just so sad... 😟 I've only been on smaller scale ferris wheels at 2 different local state parks, but each time, there was a big lap bar that came down and locked into place until the ride was over. Alot of the kids riding were fairly small, and I remember thinking that the lap bars locking were a good idea, in case a littlie accidently slid out from underneath the bucket! I was a bit nervous myself even at 15, what with it being my first time ever being able to go up so high into the air, and already being wary of mechanical failures at amusement parks (thanks, Final Destination! 😶). I feel like if there was atleast a locked lap bar in place, Abiya wouldn't have been able to stand up in the seat/next tot he seat to look around, and maybe even go as far as to say that if she saw an attendant lower and lock it, it would've implied to her anyway that she shouldn't be getting up on the ride. Maybe she thought it was safe if there wasn't a safety bar or seatbelt in place, especially if she knew people could just chill and eat brekkie while on the ride. Poor kid... She shouldn't have been let on alone, the school is the one to blame imo. My heart hurt so mucb at the end, seeing her poor mother begin to cry. Awful. Just awful.

[@kathyinwonderlandl.a.8934]

Alone on that ride? An eleven yr old? Incredible. She must’ve been so scared!

[@nunyanope4988]

It didn’t happen that way. She was standing on the seat and leaning over the 3 safety bars so she could holler down to her friends. Her weight in a awkward area of the carriage tipped it and she fell out.

[@TheRavaszEmber]

@@nunyanope4988 Even if this was the case, I still think it's negligence on the park's part for allowing her to go on a ride alone when their own rules stated that no single riders were allowed on the wheel. if she had an adult or an older friend in the ride vehicle she never would have leaned over - whether it was to wave to friends, because she felt sick, or just because she was a child and didnt think things through as rationally as an adult would, the park is at fault for not adhering to its own safety rule

[@Trenchcoat3]

@@TheRavaszEmber Nah, she just suffers from a low IQ. I didn’t do that kind of nonsense at any age.

[@viceb7]

Shouldn't it be impossible to fall out of a fing ferris wheel at all? Kinda wild they just said "oh well, I guess she stood up" and that was that. So sad.

[@tecklafurro2040]

What do you think happened?

[@narcissus1111]

That would be… literally impossible. I mean they should have had seatbelts but it sounds like after she stood up she fainted from the wind pressure and fell off. Ever seen people fainting and falling into the gaps of trains? It’s nobody’s fault. Very tragic story and I am devastated for the parents, but your comment is like saying it should be impossible to die from a car. Things cannot be made 100% safe.

[@kaliuchie315]

I’ve never been on a ferris wheel alone and I haven’t heard of anyone else ever doing that. It’s always a two party situation because two people can keep the cart balanced. Poor child was sitting alone and then probably stood up which pushed her out. Another kid in the cart and reminder from the employees/school to not stand up could have prevented this. RIP Abiah ❤️

[@themobseat]

Ferris?

[@kaliuchie315]

@@themobseat yessir. thanks

[@Trenchcoat3]

I’ve been on them alone plenty of times.

[@Zickcermacity]

@@themobseat A gentleman named GEORGE FERRIS invented the ride design.

[@Dynamatrix2000]

Stay seated until the ride comes to a complete stop. I rode on the big wheel at darien lake and nobody stood up.

[@experiment_lain3292]

I remember being on a ride that stopped while I was hanging upside down. I was really tiny. There was no seatbelt, only a bar that I could have easily slipped through. I was terrified. I couldn't even speak to my mom to let her know I was in danger. I was focused on saving my life.

[@rhondaqualls2954]

Omg thank goodness you made it, any ride going upside down should have better restraints.

[@WxHaYiLa]

Did you end up telling your mom?

[@dr.loomis4221]

There's always that person in the comments that wants the attention turned towards them. This is not the time or place son.

[@zander7671]

A beautiful 11-year-old child lost her life, this is not about you!

[@Stephaniewashere]

I'm glad you didn't fall out! I do not take my kids to amusement parks. Not worth the risk

[@michaell.8938]

My heart goes out to her parents. Losing a child must be the hardest pain in the world to cope with. RIP Abiah.

[@Barboron]

I think the idea of putting seatbelts into the cabins is a bit ludicrous! It sounds like the father is trying to cope or throw blames in ways that aren't to blame. I understand, he's grieving and you would just be looking for a reason but these things aren't traveling at crazy speeds, they aren't passing by other carrages with a possibility of impact. It sounds like the daughter may have made bad judgement if she did indeed try look out but also, there should have been something in place to stop this. perhaps have the carrages have cages ot windows instead of being open.

[@starscream5498]

I just found you I was trying to find me some park accidents and now you’re already one of my favorite KZbinrs

[@Mishaaaaah]

I live down where this happened. My sister was there that day also on a school trip from a different school. She witnessed the entire event, and kept getting summoned for years to testify and give statements. My parents let her decide if she wanted to participate and she did. It definitely took a toll on her mental health, she was only 13 when she saw it. I know what my sister said she saw but I don’t think it’s relevant or for me to share. Regardless, the child should never have been allowed on alone.

[@Dynamatrix2000]

Obviously she was doing something she wasn't supposed to. Thank your sister for letting us know. 😊

[@danger7694]

Absolutely no ferris wheel bigger than a normal one has seat belts. They move to slow to need them. Common sense tells you not to stand up on a ride. Her parents should have knows that they would never win that law suit.

[@momtammy3563]

An eleven year old can't legally sign a contract, nor make an informed consent decision for themselves. How do we blame one for making a fatal mistake she never should have been allowed to make? Is 11 old enough to know about danger? Yes. But not necessarily discerning enough to recognize everything that is dangerous. She might not have realized the amount of sway and tip that the gondola was capable of. It's an awful lot of space for one inquisitive child to occupy alone and with little to no instruction.

[@sophiaisabelle01]

Abiah Jones had so much to live for in her life. We appreciate your effort and hard work. Our level of respect for you is immensely high. Happy Holidays.

[@DisasterthonTrueHorror]

Thankyou

[@kimberlyboysza4954]

I feel for her parents. The park also has a responsibility to as well. When a patron goes on a roller coaster, they are given instructions to not stand up and keep their hands inside the car

[@PTMG]

I honestly think she did it on purpose

[@anonamoss78]

yes, suicide, a comment on here says she heard a radio interview where the parents of one of her friends suggested she jumped to make her friends feel bad after a fight they had to go their seperate ways and hang with different people

[@DelaniaAndTheDogs]

I love this channel. Sad stories but so interesting and told with compassion…

[@TraciMoore1]

Most likely since you couldn't find out what the outcome of a settlement was, it is because it was settled out of court and one of the stipulations could have been not to discuss the case after. May she rest in peace.

[@boopy6430]

She should never have been allowed on it by herself. She was an excitable child on her own in a cabin in the air where the door was only about hip height. Though it might seem like common sense to stay seated on a carriage like that where the door is just 2 metal fence like pieces with a latch, she was excited and young. Theres a good chance she stood up without thinking when she saw the view and either leaned out over the low door to get a better perspective of it without the protective bars in the way or the bench on her knees, or she stood up and lost her balance. Either way, to me the park is to blame for letting her on. She wasnt even a teen yet. I cant imagine thinking it was a good idea to let her go while latching the door shut. I do wonder if maybe the ride operators or assistant thought she was older than she actually is, or maybe she'd gone in and shut the door after her without waiting for anyone to assist her in excitement at the thought of getting a cabin all for herself, and that while helping others board the few other cabins near the ground they overlooked that none of them had checked if she was really okay to go by herself. I cant help but be curious as to what happened before she fell that made people think it was alright.

[@carlaroy1763]

Dam my ❤️goes out to the parents. I go every year to Wildwood with my boys and they were 4 then and I never heard anything about that accident 😮. I’ll never feel the same way for Moreys pier never regardless what happened.RIP LITTLE ANGLE.

[@digitaldazzle5836]

Leave it to one idiot to ruin a good time for everyone. Now they want to force everyone to wear a seatbelt in a Ferris wheel? It’s sad, but these parents are just looking for a handout off of their daughters death.

[@missykowalewski]

So my question is …. Did they ever require seatbelts. Even with the onboard meals? As sad and unfortunate as this is for her family, it’s quite possible this was just a freak accident.

[@gemfyre855]

I've never known slow moving rides like Ferris Wheels to ever have seat belts. Even terrifying high rides like the Brooklyn Flyer and any Chair-O-Plane style ride only has a bar that can be easily lifted if you wanted to.

[@jazzabighits4473]

I've never seen a ferris wheel with a seatbelt tbh

[@MattieCooper10000]

You do such a great job with these heartbreaking stories!💖💥💖

[@janegoodwin1823]

If she stood up, then how is it the fault of the park?

[@infinite_vortex]

I love that ferris wheel. About a decade ago, I wanted to ride it (would have been my first time on it) but I was denied, as I was riding alone (this case changed their rules to having two people in a cart). The next year, I brought a buddy.

[@brooklynbarbie6855]

To think she would be 22 today and have possible children of her own now is a sad thought that the family has lost out on so much love and life that she had to give. Time offers healing but the wound will always remain. My well wishes goes out to her mother and father, family and friends.

[@TheMysticRealms]

Ok, but do parents just not teach children basic survival skills anymore? Kids don't automatically know to take the time to think "hey, this impulsive thing I want to do might harm or kill me", that's our job as parents to teach them to stop, access situations, and think of consequences.

[@nachgeben]

Okay, but do you even know how physics work?

[@patrickperalta59]

sad to hear she died and while we do not know for sure what happen to make her fall..........if one theory is she might have stood up in her seat that's terrible and she should have known better...........you don't stand up on a ride you stay seated.

[@johnphazzleton]

Love all your videos. What a fantastic year of content! Merry Christmas 💜

[@southernenigma3427]

They are not going to put seatbelts on a ferris wheel ride...give me a break. It was a tragic accident. There was no way she could have fallen out unless she stood up and actually leaned over. She was old enough to know not to stand up on that ride, but she was just a kid and they do dumb things all the time. How tragic.

[@xMrsGontierx]

I get goosebumps looking back at all the times I unintentionally almost killed myself as a child from a poor decision whilst alone. Especially being currently pregnant with my first child this just breaks my heart and gives me chills.

[@xXKazeInuYashaXx]

“She was a blessing.” Actually broke my heart

[@chronoslayercs]

Agreed, had me with a lump in the throat when watching. I hope her parents are doing better.

[@emmacrumley8870]

Same, I nearly cried when she said that

[@steelwitness]

I was riding ferris wheels alone at 10 years old and still do now that im 23. She had to be stood up or leaned over the edge. Ive never had any problems on ferris wheels but i always stay seated.

[@colormetakenaback]

Ferris wheels have always made my skin crawl. Last time I rode one I was in tears. Hate them. I feel so heartbroken for Abiah and her family.

[@iceblueaquamarina7389]

I’ve been on several Ferris Wheels across America and Europe and none of them had seat belts. However they always had big signs saying: It’s forbidden to stand up. Plus I have never seen that a young kid boarded all by itself. Don’t remember if it is forbidden as well or if the staff has to keep an eye on it. She had an unfortunate plan and sadly nobody noticed or cared about it.

[@benhartart9487]

A ride like that doesn’t need seat belts, and you shouldn’t stand up as a rule of common sense

[@dababy1234]

Not for a kid

[@aliceangel262]

New Jersey theme parks have often had a curse that looms over them where awful things will happen, six flags has had multiple awful events and deaths..not to even mention action park and the piers

[@natartz]

I watch all your videos, excellent job btw. I've been here hundreds of times especially in the 90's & 2000's. The child caused this horrible accident, however the school & park should have better safety rules

[@strangelove0108]

Yes I agree. I am local and it’s not unsafe.. that said, videos like these are the reason I don’t ride many thrill rides outside of Universal and Disney.

[@redblade8160]

The parents are looking for an excuse and compensation for their daughter's death. The daughter, obviously, was not all that bright to stand up on a rollercoaster when she should have been sitting down.

[@FannyLerouxTime]

It's an unfortunate incident, but as a rides operator I can say that children stand up on rides where they are told not to. The park were at no fault here, sure they had the no single rider rule, but that's not a manufacturer guide. There's a lot of cases like this where despite it having been a complete accident, the family will always accuse others rather than accept what actually happened.

[@Twilight24682]

Well said these rides have a sign saying don't stand up and she ignored them and was leaning over while standing to talk to friends

[@FannyLerouxTime]

@@Twilight24682 I mean, yes, but I can remember countless days of working on the logflume at CTP and spending most of the day on the microphone saying "Camelot reminder to all guests, please remain seated" or "Camelot would like to remind all riders to remain seated while the ride is in motion". We had strict rules to stick to too, like the most heavy rider had to be at the front of the boat. I once had a Karen who was at the front get out, tell me that her husband's weight didn't matter and she should be at the front because of the photo taken on the ride. While she was arguing at me I held the leaver down so wher boat went without her and when they came around they'd had a brilliant ride, but she hadn't gotten anywhere with me because i had basically been laughing at her! Health and safety HAS to come first when you're operating a ride, but, with regards to this YT video, there's not a lot this rides operator could have done. If someone is going to jump, they're going to jump, end of.

[@MelissaWickersham-k4o]

The ride operator broke the “no single rider rule” by letting the girl ride alone. That’s operator error and negligence.

[@gregmeyer9595]

I hate that you have people to be respectful. Too many out there just have to cause problems by having no compassion. I hope her family has found some in this world, knowing that she truly is in a better place.

[@antoniobranch]

Like you said, she probably stood up (due to a windy day) and panicked or fainted, then lost her footing. To me that makes the most sense.... It is said, "accidents and incidents just don't happen. It's a series (link) of unchecked errors that had anyone of the links had been corrected, the event would not have happened."

[@Juliett-we7tc]

Omg I am absolutely terrified of Ferris wheels. I will go on other rides, but those giant wheels just petrify me.

[@jakeirako]

I watched this earlier at work but as the day went on I remembered something I actually went on this Ferris Wheel when I was a teenager back in the early 2000s. It's a memory I don't like to remember because it was not the best except for one part. It was late in the evening and me and my dad wanted to go on the Ferris Wheel because going on Ferris Wheel rides was our thing because all you do is sit and enjoy the view. My mother and brother also joined us this time since we never been on a Ferris Wheel this big and this was the last thing we wanted to do for the night. We were halfway up and we already wanted off because we did not like it. I think between how high we were going up along with being able to see the lights around us going off due to it being late at night, the constant stopping / long pauses because people were getting on and off the ride, and maybe because the Ferris Wheel was shaking (the shaking part is foggy in my memory) we all told ourselves we will never go a Ferris Wheel this big again. For the except for one part that made the ride funny is before going on or maybe we had stopped close to where the operator was because someone else was getting off / on my dad asked the operator if we can get off and the operator said we had to go around insert amount of times before we can depart so every time we came around we had put our fingers up showing the operator how many times that was so he did not forget. Of course thinking about it years later they probably had a process on how many times a car went around since there are too many cars to keep count of which is probably why he couldn't let us off early.

[@poemone2257]

This has to be the only park I've heard of actually doing something about their safety issues after an incident. Tragic of what happened to her. The school shouldn't have sent students alone on rides

[@Karamarika]

Perhaps you haven't watched many videos about accidents like this because most do something to adjust the ride or their procedures after the accident investigation. For example, one added a sample seat for the ride so that people could make sure they would fit properly before getting in line. In that case, the person fell out because they were too obese for the restraints to lock down appropriately. Another added a second restraint. In Australia, they completely shut down the ride after multiple people died (which was overkill and unnecessary, it was done out of "respect"). Those are just a couple examples I have off the top of my head. There are many others.

[@poemone2257]

@@Karamarika which ride was that Australian one?

[@Karamarika]

@Poe Moné it was a water rapids ride. The ones with the big round tube boats. Killed 4 people last year, iirc.

[@poemone2257]

@@Karamarika four!? Yeesh

[@angeljohnson234]

If the policy was for two people to ride and she was riding alone, the park should have been held liable. An amusement park can't have a policy, not follow it and then blame the victim, who in this case is a child. This is an awful tragedy that could have been prevented. My heart goes out to her parents.

[@MrChopsticktech]

I think you are confused about what policies are. Policies are no guarantee of safety, they aren't there to save lives. The park could have a policy of not letting people on rides unless they wear hats, but that doesn't make them responsible for riders' safety.

[@angeljohnson234]

@@MrChopsticktech I am not confused by what polices are. Polices at amusement parks are put in place to ensure a certain standard of care for riders (i.e., what is generally acceptable in the industry). The two person policy is not similar to wearing a hat. The policy is similar to a height or weight requirement, which is intended for the safety of the riders. So you are comparing apples to oranges. The department that investigated the accident encouraged the park to not only institute a two person policy but to enforce it to prevent such accidents in the future. If the policy was as you say like "wearing a hat," I highly doubt the amusement park would have been advised to change their policy.

[@mushyroom9569]

@@1981mrdavid Thank you! It’s so ridiculous how many people keep going off about the two person rule as if it’s actually relevant. I don’t know if they mean it as a “gotcha” for the park or if they’re just misinformed, but it’s obnoxious either way.

[@sandyworkman3025]

R.I.P. young lady. I am sending prayers up for this time of terrible grief for the parents, as no one should have to go through the pain of losing a beloved daughter.

[@cliodhnamalone7493]

so sad

[@sandyworkman3025]

@@cliodhnamalone7493 ya, I haven't gone thru that and hope I never do. Just losing my little weenie dog goober liked to killed my heart so losing child....I can't even imagine.

[@Schubes5]

I was born in 2002 and grew up in Philadelphia, going to Wildwood quite frequently. I remember the day they reported this on the news vividly. My opinion, as someone who has been on the ride before and after the changes were made, I believe that she was probably messing around, trying to see the beach and the park which are both some stunning views, and got a little too comfortable. This was always a fear of mine and still is, to this day. Such a tragic part of the Wildwoods history.

[@WouldntULikeToKnow.]

How terribly sad. I can't draw conclusions in this case but, yes, if there were better restraints and an additional rider with her then this likely would not have happened. My condolences to her family and friends.

[@angelyseperez2963]

Ferris wheels already make me uncomfortable how that little girl stand up and WALK to the edge alone

[@virginiaviola5097]

I wonder if she suffered from vertigo. It’s such an awful feeling, when it’s impossible to tell up from down and have the feeling of falling. And it’s not something you know you have until being up high the first time. That would certainly cause her to become disoriented and lose her balance. The responsibility should be shared between the school and the operator..mostly the school. An 11 year old child in their care should not have been unsupervised and she shouldn’t have been allowed to ride on her own. What a tragedy. Her poor family 💔

[@Proman476]

The opening music is really haunting.

[@nidhisinha8745]

I have been to morey pier whenever we went to cape may , I rode the drop tower, some water rides, and roller coaster

[@thomasmeyer6407]

Far too young. as is always common something bad has to happen before things get changed. on a side note though if it was her curiosity or whatever that made her stand up. it just goes to show that the human element is always present even when we're kids. Especially when were kids.