Teen killed on theme park ride after 'being thrown from 70mph cable swing'
A teenager has died and another is critically injured after they both were "thrown from a 70mph cable swing" at a theme park on Sunday.
The tragedy occurred in the popular resort town of Cap d’Agde on France's southern coast after suspected strong winds swung the ride at Luna Park and the two victims plunged 180ft.
Local prosecutor Raphael Balland said: "Two people were victims of an accident while using the Adrenaline attraction. An adolescent aged 17 died of his injuries and a young woman of 19 was taken to hospital at Montpellier as an absolute emergency (case)."
The 17-year-old boy was pronounced dead at the scene, while the 19-year-old woman is in critical condition in hospital after suffering multiple traumas. Prosecutors will be seeking to determine whether the rides should have been operating during the alleged high winds and whether there was a mechanical failure.
The attraction winches people to a height of 180ft into the air (YouTube)Cap d'Adge mayor Gilles d'Ettore said that Saturday night had been very windy, which was "very rare for Agde" and he suggested that the strong gusts could have allegedly caused the accident. While Balland said that the teenagers hit obstacles as they plunged from the ride, which is believed to reach speeds of 70mph.
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The attraction involves winching two people, who are strapped into a harness, to a height of 180ft into the air before they are released to swing on the cable at a high speed.
Witnesses told local media sources that the cable had deviated from its usual path, which led to the riders allegedly hitting the metal pylon that holds the attraction up and then being ejected from their harnesses.
In 2015 at the same park, a young couple were thrown from a slingshot ride when it snapped mid-air. They were left hanging on the ride for over an hour as firefighters worked to rescue them. The woman reportedly suffered a broken leg, while her partner walked away only bruised.
An investigation has been opened into the latest incident and four people, including the theme park manager, were taken into custody to be questioned by police.
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