6 year old girl dies at amusement park

 

Girl, 6, Dies on Plunging Colorado Amusement Park Ride During Family Vacation

A six-year-old died after suffering fatal injuries on the Haunted Mine Drop ride at Glenwood Caverns Park in Glenwood Springs, Colorado

By Greta Bjornson

September 07, 2021 11:30 AM

CREDIT: CHELSEA SELF/GLENWOOD SPRINGS POST INDEPENDENT VIA AP

A six-year-old girl has died after suffering fatal injuries on a ride at an amusement park in Colorado.

CBS Denver reports that the child died Sunday while riding the Haunted Mine Drop ride at Glenwood Caverns Park, in Glenwood Springs, Colorado. 

"An incident occurred this evening, September 5, at Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park on the Haunted Mine Drop ride that resulted in a fatality," the park posted on Facebook Sunday night. "Authorities and emergency personnel have been dispatched and an investigation is in progress."

The park, which closed Monday and Tuesday following the incident, added, "Our thoughts and prayers go out to all involved." 

The child, who was from Colorado Springs, had been vacationing with her family, according to a statement from the Garfield County Coroner's Office shared with CNN. Specifics of her injuries were not provided, but the coroner's office has scheduled an autopsy for this week. 

"Immediately following the incident, Glenwood Caverns employees initiated first aid until paramedics with the Glenwood Springs Fire Department arrived and determined the child had died," the coroner's office statement added. 

While details surrounding the child's death are sparse, CBS Denver reports that a dispatcher requested EMS at the park "for a party that fell out of the shaft ride" over police radio messages Sunday at the time of the incident. The dispatcher added, "The party is at the bottom of the shaft."

The ride first opened in 2017 and was described as "the first drop ride in the world to go underground, plunging riders 110 feet inside the dark depths of Iron Mountain in what feels like a free-fall" in a since-deleted page on the Glenwood Caverns Park website.

The Haunted Mine Drop has a height requirement of 46 inches, according to the park's website. Riders must also sign a liability waiver before boarding the attraction. 

In a statement shared with PEOPLE Monday, Park General Manager Nancy Heard confirmed the park was closed Monday and would remain closed Tuesday "out of respect for the family."

"For everyone at Glenwood Caverns, the safety and well-being of our guests, our team and our community is what's most important. We are heartbroken to confirm that on the evening of September 5 there was a tragic accident on the Haunted Mine Drop," Heard stated. "We are deeply saddened and ask that the family and all those impacted be remembered in your thoughts and prayers."

She added, "An investigation that will include state and local authorities, as well as independent engineering and ride inspection experts and our own maintenance team, is underway."

The Garfield County Coroner's Office did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's requests for comment.

https://people.com/human-interest/six-year-old-girl-dies-on-colorado-amusement-park-ride/