A couple has been applauded for their quick thinking after they noticed a young girl behind them on a roller coaster was in distress because her seatbelt had come undone.
What was meant to be an enjoyable outing at the Worlds of Fun amusement park in Kansas City, Missouri, turned alarming when a girl’s seatbelt on one of the park’s roller coasters unbuckled on October 11.
Fortunately, a couple noticed the passenger on the Mamba roller coaster, seated behind them, displaying signs of panic.
The girl was screaming, not from excitement, but likely from fear for her safety due to the unfastened seatbelt.
Chris and Cassie Evins, the couple involved, recounted the event to local media, explaining how they took action to keep the girl secure.
A photo from the ride captured the couple’s efforts, and the image quickly gained attention on social media.
Speaking to KCTV5, Chris shared: “We get on the roller coaster and the very first hill, the girl sitting behind my wife just lets out this blood-curdling scream like I’ve never heard before.”
Initially, he thought the girl might be experiencing the ride for the first time, but soon he understood that she was panicking because her seatbelt was undone.
As the ride, which reaches speeds of 75mph and heights of 205ft, continued, Chris and Cassie reached back to help secure the girl in her seat.
Chris explained: “I had looped my arm underneath her lap bar, which had a pretty big gap between her and the lap bar. So at this point, I’m seeing a huge space, no seatbelt.
“I looped my arm underneath the lap bar, and I grabbed ahold of her wrist. My wife was pushing down on her legs.”
Having ridden the roller coaster multiple times before, the couple was familiar with its twists and turns, allowing them to anticipate how the ride could affect the girl.
The amusement park later confirmed the presence of a secondary restraint system and stated that safety checks were performed following the incident.
Speaking to a publication, a spokesperson issued a detailed statement: “The safety of our guests and team members is a top priority. Following the report of a guest concern on the ride several weeks ago, our team immediately closed the ride and completed a thorough inspection before reopening it that evening.
“The ride is equipped with a multi-layered restraint system, with lap bars being the primary restraint. The seat belts serve as a secondary restraint.
“Throughout multiple inspections, there was no evidence of restraint failure in the lap bar system or the buckles on any seat belts during any of the ride inspections and the ride has operated safely since the initial concern was raised.
“On Thursday, the ride underwent a comprehensive safety review by the Fire Marshall. Again, the lap bars and buckles were found fully functional, and we implemented slight modifications to a number of seat belts to ensure they met or exceeded all applicable safety standards before the ride opened to guests that evening.”