http://www.wkow.com/story/29514468/2015 ... nsin-dells
Watch the video, It's shocking but kind of funny
Wisconsin Dells (WKOW)-- Two Wisconsin Dells visitors are feeling lucky to be alive after a cable on an amusement ride snapped just inches away from them.
The incident happened Wednesday on "The Catapult" ride at Mt. Olympus in Wisconsin Dells. Owners shut down the ride after a cable came crashing down just seconds before two passengers were shot into the air.
"I couldn't believe that just happened. I had to collect myself," Dru Larson says after capturing the incident on video.
"What if it had been 30 inches closer to Trevor or what if they were shot up in the air? Things start going through your mind and most of them aren't good."
Larson and his son Trevor were visiting from Tracy Minnesota before heading to a basketball tournament in Milwaukee. Trevor was riding with family friend Carrie Sueker when the accident happened.
"There's a lot of what if, it could have hit us, could have hit our friends and family nearby," Sueker says.
The ride was back open Thursday after Mt. Olympus owners say they replaced the cables on the ride.
"When I found out about the situation I told them I don't want that ride operating again until all new cables are put on the ride," owner Nick Laskaris says.
According to Laskaris the ride is actually owned by an independent contractor that also owns and operates one other ride at Mt. Olympus. Laskaris says the ride is owned by Dick Clark's Ultimate Rush and has been in the Wisconsin Dells for nearly two decades.
"Been here in the Dells 20 years and from what I understand it's never happened before," Laskaris says.
The owner of the company wasn't available for comment, but Mt. Olympus managers say they're working with him to insure the safety of guests. They originally opened the ride to patrons on Thursday, but later decided to shutdown the ride again until they can conduct a thorough investigation.
The Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services tells 27 News an amusement company isn't required to report an incident unless someone is injured. However, officials say they will conduct an investigation if a patron submits a valid complaint.
A little more than a year ago Mt. Olympus removed a different ride from their park after a man fell more than 15-feet. 63-year-old Anthony Theisen fell off the "Opa" Roller Coaster in March of 2014 and suffered serious injuries. State safety officials ruled a lap bar failed and that the park did not follow all maintenance recommended by the ride's maker.
So Strike 2 for this park?
