# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
A 7-year-old boy died yesterday on a water ride at Rye Playland amusement park.

The death, the park's second in 15 months, occurred on Ye Old Mill, a relatively placid, boat-in-the-dark ride beneath the Dragon Coaster on the midway of the 77-year-old park.

The boy's name was not made public, but officials said he was from Norwalk, Conn.

Ye Old Mill has a height requirement of 42 inches, and the boy was at least six inches taller than that, said Westchester County Executive Andrew Spano.

The child got on one of the 14 boats alone, but when "the boat came back, the boy was missing," Spano said.

Park officials initially treated it as a missing-child case and alerted a Westchester County police officer there.

The operator evacuated the ride so it could be searched, inside and out. It is unclear how long the search took, but the boy's body was found in the water underneath the ride's internal conveyor belts, said county Police Commissioner Tom Belfiore.

A series of belts elevates and then sends the boat sailing gently into a pool of water just 2½ feet deep.

Spano declined to say whether the boy drowned or hit his head in a fall from the car.

At a somber news conference at the park's ice rink, Spano said, "I have always enjoyed coming to this park. I've always considered it to be one of the most wonderful places in the county.

"I can't tell you how upset I am. This is a park where people come to expect a good time. Tonight, a family went home without their son."

He described Ye Old Mill, built in 1928, as "a historic ride - one of our most benign rides."

In May 2004, a 7-year-old girl was killed on Playland's Mind Scrambler ride, which was spinning riders in a darkened tent to flashing lights and loud music.

Investigators concluded that the victim, Stephanie Dieudonne, had wriggled free of the restraining bar on one of the cars, knelt on the seat and fell soon after the ride started.

Rides at the park are certified by the state every year. In addition, there are daily checks every morning, Spano said.

The state Department of Labor, which administers amusement parks, gave Playland a list of minor safety recommendations after last year's death, the vast majority of which were implemented, Spano said.

Playland, a National Historic Landmark located 20 miles northeast of the city, has more than 50 rides, a pool and a beach on Long Island Sound. It has more than a million patrons a year.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
PLAYLAND HORROR - BOY, 7, FOUND DEAD IN WATER RIDE

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
A 7-year-old boy died yesterday on a water ride at Rye Playland amusement park. The death, the park's second in 15 months, occurred on Ye Old Mill, a relatively placid, boat-in-the-dark ride beneath the Dragon Coaster on the midway of the 77-year-old park.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Recent Accidents Spotlight Safety at Amusement Parks

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
A growing list of accidents, both in the U.S. and around the world, is putting safety at amusement parks under the spotlight.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission estimated that 30,900 injuries caused by amusement park attractions were seen by hospital emergency departments in 2016 alone. Those injured are out of millions of people who visit carnivals, fairs and festivals each year, the Outdoor Amusement Business Association, which represents much of the mobile amusement industry, estimates.

Since 2010, the CPSC reports that there have been 22 fatalities caused by thrill rides, including Wednesday's death in Ohio.

Inspections are intended to help cut down on the number of accidents and injuries, but that's not always the case.

The Associated Press reported that Ohio Chief Inspector of Amusement Ride Safety Michael Vartorella said the Fire Ball was inspected thoroughly three or four times before the fair opened on Wednesday - the same day the state issued a permit for the ride.

Rides are checked while they are being setup in order to ensure they meet manufacturer specifications, Ohio Department of Agriculture Director David Daniels told the Associated Press. The Fire Ball and other rides were also checked and given passing marks on some three dozen items, including checks for cracks, the brakes, proper assembly and installation.
Related: Kasich Urges Ohioans to Return to State Fair One Day After Fatal Accident
One of those injured Wednesday, Abdihakim Hussein, told NBC affiliate WCMH that he was struck by debris from the ride.

"My whole life flashed in front of me because I didn't know. It kept going, too, once it broke off," he said.

Amusement of America, operator of the ride, also insisted that the Fire Ball had undergone a thorough inspection.

"Our family owned company is committed to working with state and local experts in trying to determine the cause of this tragic accident," the company said in a statement on Thursday. "The ride was inspected by our staff as well as independent inspectors prior to opening at the Ohio State Fair."

The Outdoor Amusement Business Association defended the Fire Ball's operators, as well.

"This incident took place despite multiple independent inspections of the ride and only a full and complete investigation can identify the issues or issues that led to this tragedy," the business association, which claims 60 percent of ride injuries are caused by guests behaving inappropriately, said in a separate statement on Thursday.

But inspections aren't always foolproof.

Paul Malchesky represented the family of Greyson Yoe, who was electrocuted and killed by a ride at a county fair in Ohio in 2003. He said that inspectors, ride operators, owners and subcontractors can all be held liable in incidents like these, and in his case multiple individuals faced criminal prosecution.

"All those rides have a lot of moveable, breakable parts," Malchesky told NBC News. "They're put up and taken down on a fairly regular basis, and moved around - and things loosen up, things break, things are missed in the inspection."

Amusement park consultant and inspector Ken Martin examined another Fire Ball ride earlier this year. He said the number of inspections in Ohio signaled a "catastrophic failure" had occurred.

"The state looked at it, the carnival looked at it, the independent ride inspectors looked at it. How can three people be wrong?" he asked, noting that the amusement park industry obviously does not make rides "to injure or kill people."
Related: Lawmaker's Family Reaches Settlement with Water Park Over Son's Death
Dozens of people witnessed the incident, and they will likely be interviewed by multiple investigators, including the local police, the Ohio Dept. of Agriculture, and an investigator from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. The latter will examine what role the Fire Ball's mechanics played in the incident and could call for the ride to be removed from service all over the country.

In the meantime, numerous fairs and carnivals, from the California State Fair in Sacramento to the Monmouth County Fair in New Jersey, announced that they had decided to stop operating similar rides.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Accidents due to thrill rides might be higher than you think

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The amusement park industry assures the public that its parks and rides across America are safe and well inspected but a recent death at the Ohio State Fair has left people wondering whether those claims have actually been nailed down.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
© 2018 Time Inc. Affluent Media Group. All rights reserved. TravelandLeisure.com is part of the Affluent Travel Group. Travel + Leisure is a trademark of Time Inc. Affluent Media Group, registered in the United States and other countries. Travel + Leisure may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
(The Learning Channel) Thrill Rides: Designing Fear

# data[].attributes.body
google- time

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Recent Accidents Spotlight Safety at Amusement Parks

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
A growing list of accidents, both in the U.S. and around the world, is putting safety at amusement parks under the spotlight.

# data[].attributes.body
google

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
U.S. Federal and State Amusement Ride Regulation | Saferparks

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Saferparks is a non-profit public service organization founded in 2000 to help prevent amusement ride accidents through research, information sharing, and effective public safety policy.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
There's no thrill like a good theme park ride. Hurtling around a roller coaster track and navigating hairpin turns is pretty exhilarating, no matter how old you are.

It's a growing industry, too: According to market research group Global Industry Analysts , theme park revenue is projected to reach $44 billion by 2020.

But how are the attractions designed and built, creating theme parks that last for decades? How do engineers keep them safe? What kind of hardware is required to run a theme park control system?

Meet the Expert

To get insight, we spoke to Steve Alcorn, Disney's first Systems Engineer and one of the original engineers who worked on Epcot for its 1982 opening. Alcorn is CEO of Alcorn McBride Inc , a manufacturer of show control, audio, and video equipment that's used in nearly all of the world's theme parks. He is also the author of several books, including Theme Park Design: Behind the Scenes With an Engineer and Building A Better Mouse: The Story of the Electronic Imagineers Who Designed Epcot . He shared a few behind-the-scenes tech secrets behind theme park rides and how they're engineered.

Minds Behind the Rides

Creating and designing attractions truly takes a village. Once the creative team comes up with the concept, it's up to the engineers to build it-and there are many, many different kinds who all work together to create the finished product. So who does what?

When you visit a theme park like Disney World, for example, you might go on a ride like this one:

Your vehicle moves. Props move. Any pieces of a ride that move-like vehicles, doors, wheels, set pieces-are designed by mechanical engineers. According to Alcorn's book, Theme Park Design: Behind The Scenes With An Engineer , rides can contain thousands of moving parts. They must be designed to be dependable for years. And don't forget about the building the ride's housed in, too. Architectural engineers are the ones who ensure the buildings remain standing, even with millions of pounds of moving vehicles and special effects equipment inside.

Let's say you go on a ride like Disney's Haunted Mansion:

All of the unusual illusions on rides (like fog, or never-melting ice, or spectral spirits pictured above) are courtesy of special effects designers, who use engineering know-how to create them. These designers might even replicate smells. According to Alcorn's book, their designs incorporate lots of different technology: mechanics, chemistry, electronics, projection, pneumatics (air), and even cryogenics.

And then there's the lighting. How do you get the right lighting to create the spooky feel above? Lighting designers are the ones who select the perfect lamps, lighting fixtures, and color filters to create just the right mood in attractions. Lighting can range from spotlights to neon to lasers-and everything in between.

And then let's say you go on a ride like Toy Story Mania!, where you shoot at a video screen. Audio/video engineers are the ones who design the systems that play, amplify, and distribute audio and video. After you blast away some targets, you exit the ride safely, but who was responsible for ensuring its safety? Ride control engineers. They analyze the ride control systems, looking for any failure points in hardware, software, and mechanics. And who understands how the whole attraction operates and how all the systems (like lighting, mechanical, A/V, facility) are connected? Show control engineers.

And then, finally, on a managerial level, you have systems engineers like Alcorn. They oversee all engineering on a high level, understand the technical goals of engineering teams, and ensure their needs are understood.

Behind-the-Scenes Engineering Secrets

Now that you know some of the engineering teamwork that goes into creating rides, what are the engineering tricks used to make the magic come alive? Alcorn revealed a few of his favorite ones:

No mechanical media: Alcorn points out that an important aspect of media playback in theme parks is that it never break. "We need hardware that will last decades, not years," says Alcorn. "We can't use any mechanical media, not even a rotating hard drive." The trick, he says, to dealing with massive amounts of uncompressed video is to store it all in a permanent memory . "These are like CompactFlash cards used in high-end digital cameras, but with much more storage and much faster," he says.

Synchronization: Another aspect that you might not think about when you're on a ride is the degree of tight audio and video synchronization that's required. "When you're riding on a vehicle, you're often hearing local sound through the headrests, and area sound from the scenery around you as the vehicle moves through it. This requires precise synchronization between the two, yet they are unconnected," he says. "So we broadcast synchronization information to achieve millisecond precision between these media sources." But how is this done? Not through Wi-Fi. "The vehicle audio obviously can't be hardwired and it also can't be broadcast by Wi-Fi, because it wouldn't be in precise sync. So we store the audio on the vehicle," he says. "But it also can't be synchronized over conventional Wi-Fi, because it is not deterministic. So we use satellite based time-keeping and other sophisticated synchronization protocols to hold everything together."

It's not really random: "One common request is to make something happen 'randomly.' But clients who request this really don't want randomness," he says. For example, if there are five possibilities and four of them already happened, they expect the next "random" event to be the fifth one. But that's not how things work in a truly random environment. "In a random world, the same thing might happen two times in a row. People in a theme park almost never want that," he says. Park goers don't want reoccurring events; they crave ones that are new, different, unexpected, thrilling. "So when you ride an attraction such as Disney's Tower of Terror, the order that things are happening may vary - it's not really random," he says.

Keeping Rides Safe: The Critical Piece

Safety is the top priority for anyone working in the theme park industry. According to the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA) , the likelihood of being injured badly enough to require overnight hospitalization is 1 in 24 million. The chances of being fatally injured is 1 in 750 million. (For perspective, your odds of being attacked by a shark are 1 in 11.5 million. And winning the lottery? 1 in 14 million.)

"Of course, the goal of any ride is to be thrilling. But the engineers' goal is to make it safe," says Alcorn. "This requires a combination of mechanical engineering and control systems engineering."

Here are a few ways Alcorn says they ensure safety:

"Block zone" systems: To prevent vehicles from hitting each other, there must always be at least one empty track space, or "zone," between two vehicles. The smallest possible zone is the length of the vehicle. This block zone control system can be used in simple boat rides or bobsled-style rides like Disney's Matterhorn. Control mechanisms (like turning off the propulsion system) prevent vehicles from moving until the zone ahead is clear.

Single and Multiple Point Failure Analysis: This is performed on every element of the control system. It finds failure points in the system hardware, software, and mechanics-anything that would be unsafe if these points malfunctioned. "This can get quite tricky, because creating redundancy is a natural first instinct. However, you quickly discover that redundancy does not guarantee safety if the failure of redundant components is not detectable," says Alcorn.

Failure Modes and Effects Analysis: This procedure analyzes every monitoring or control point to see the outcome if it fails. It's conducted before any attraction opens, says Alcorn. "This can get quite complex, and involve all the different disciplines working on the attraction."

Overcoming IT Challenges

So what happens if a control system breaks down? How is hardware designed to reduce dreaded downtime-something theme park goers won't put up with?

Alcorn says that theme parks employ extensive maintenance staffs whose level of familiarity with technology increases with the complexity of systems. Now that almost all systems are interconnected using networks, a high degree of IT familiarity is required. However, he says, the IT work on these installations is rarely the type of work that an IT professional would perform in a computer installation.

"The reason is that PCs are rarely used in the theme park attractions. They're simply not reliable enough. And an operating system like Windows would almost never be used," says Alcorn. "Theme parks expect their attractions to be operable 24/7. [During] the day there are guests who won't tolerate frequent downtimes, and during the night the control systems need to be fully functional so that mechanical maintenance can occur."

Instead, many theme parks use control systems that feature completely custom hardware. Alcorn's company designs custom hardware from the chips up, and "it runs a hardened operating system that we also designed from the bit level up," he says.

By designing all their own circuit boards, firmware, and software, and by not using Windows or other commercial operating systems in their products, everything can be engineered for a specific purpose. "This also allows us to continue to support products for much longer lives than consumer electronics, which tend to become incompatible with new hardware or software every few years or sometimes even months," he says. "We make controllers that have been running in attractions continuously for more than 20 years without a power cycle or reset. You can't do that with Windows or a PC."

Important Communication Lessons Learned as Disney's First Systems Engineer

When Alcorn was made Disney's first Systems Engineer, he was responsible for all the engineers working on the Imagination Pavilion-an attraction at Epcot that didn't open on time and was still struggling to open six months later. This team included mechanical engineers, electric motor engineers, and computer control programmers who had all been working independently.

"[Working independently] resulted in essentially a deadlock, where every department was blaming the others for not opening," he says.

Alcorn's engineering degree from UCLA was a broad one-one that included all of these disciplines to some extent-and consequently, he was able to get the team together and talking.

"There was really no magic involved. It was just a matter of getting people to communicate and sign up for what they could and couldn't do. I discovered that each person had been working under constraints that often turned out to be unimportant to the other disciplines. By eliminating this unnecessary complexity, we were able to open the ride in just 10 days," he says.

"Of course, there was still lots to be worked out, and we spent the next six months removing much of the added complexity, and making engineering changes to adapt to some of the new constraints that arose. But the ride worked fairly reliably from that day on. It was a powerful lesson in the value of having a Systems Engineer who could get everyone communicating."

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Engineering Magic: The Tech Secrets Behind Theme Parks - BetterCloud Monitor

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
It's a growing industry, too: According to market research group Global Industry Analysts , theme park revenue is projected to reach $44 billion by 2020. But how are the attractions designed and built, creating theme parks that last for decades? How do engineers keep them safe?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
There's nothing like the highs and lows, the twists and turns, the thrills and that weightless feeling you can only find on a high-tech, fast-paced roller coaster.

Over 300 million people flock to theme parks in the United States annually, and each year, these screaming, shrieking fans are seeking a bigger, faster, and wilder ride than the one they went on the year before. But after taking one look at these 300-foot-tall structures, you don't have to be a worried mom to wonder: How fast is too fast, and is "safe" safe enough?

Dr. Jamshid Ghajar, a neurosurgeon at Weill Medical College of Cornell University in New York, and president of the Brain Trauma Foundation, said that there are risks associated with roller coasters, but the likelihood of injury is relatively small.

"In terms of the number of injuries, they see one in every 15 million riders," Ghajar told Good Morning America. "In terms of deaths, there are one in 150 million. You are more likely to suffer a serious head injury driving to and from the park."

But there is growing concern about the force of gravity that is exerted on people as they ride these faster roller coasters. In October, New Jersey will become the first state to limit G-forces on rides.

Meanwhile, the American Association of Neurological Surgeons, has assembled a national committee of neurosurgeons, NASA scientists and engineers are looking at how the stress of G-forces from roller coasters might affect our brains, Ghajar said.

"They are looking at the force applied to the brain at various G-force levels, and how the brain is moved around on these rides," he said. The committee has not reached any conclusions yet. But one of the major causes of brain trauma is a kind of tossing of the brain, in which it is bounced around inside the skull, and injured.

Playing With G-Forces

Even though the brain is protected by the skull, and is surrounded by liquid that cushions it, rapid movement can be dangerous. Yet not completely restraining the head on rides can be dangerous, too, because it could place more force on the spine, and lead to more spinal injuries, Ghajar said.

With speeds topping 80 mph, roller coasters exert a higher force of gravity, or G-force, on a rider's body compared to what they normally experience. When you are on the ground, you are essentially neutral, at 1G, but some newer rides will increase the force of gravity on your body up to 6 G's for seconds at a time. At 6 G's, a typical 170-pound rider will feel as though they weigh over 1,000 pounds, or six times heavier.

The rider experiences a sinking feeling as he accelerates, and as the ride turns, it may throw his head from side to side, leaving the brain vulnerable to injury.

"It's how the head is moved because of the G-Force," said Douglas Smith, an associate professor of neurosurgery at the University of Pennsylvania. "So the head moves rapidly, the brain is changing shape or deforming inside the skull, there might be compressive or stretching types of forces on the brain. If that occurs rapidly, then you can have injury."

With the new regulations in New Jersey, those who design roller coasters are doing some careful calculations.

"We're looking at G-forces from the standpoint of onset," said Jim Seay, a roller coaster designer. "Which means how quickly you feel the G-force and how quickly that G-force is taken off of you. And for duration, you are only experiencing G-forces on rides for very short periods of times. We're talking seconds or split seconds."

Who Is at Risk?

Roller coaster enthusiasts can never be 100 percent protected on rides, but from what experts know now, people with pre-existing conditions are at the greatest risk for injury, Ghajar said. Generally the risks apply to older people more than children, because they are more likely to have such conditions. So as long as children obey the rules of the ride, they should be fine, Ghajar said.

The rides increase blood pressure and heart rate, so those with high blood pressure or heart problems would be wise to stay off the rides. People with spinal injuries are at greater risk for exacerbating those injuries, Ghajar said. Anyone who has or has had brain aneurysms or a stroke should also avoid the rides.

Children who ride multiple times are not really at any greater risk compared to one-time thrill seekers, Ghajar said.

"If there is no pre-existing condition, the number of times they ride isn't proven to increase risk," Ghajar said. "You should just be aware if the kid gets off the ride with a headache or disorientation, they should be medically checked, and not sent back on the ride."

Some people who suffer brain injuries seem fine for hours or days, and then end up collapsing. Several months ago, a 13-year-old girl died of brain swelling two days after she was hit in the head with a hockey puck at a game.

That case was rare, Ghajar said. Most people who suffer a brain injury will have severe headaches, dizziness, sleepiness or confusion. Overwhelmingly, people will exhibit one or all of these symptoms, and should immediately have it checked out, especially if they have just been on a ride.

"If you feel something like a bad headache, or confusion, or dizziness when you get off the ride, get it checked out," Ghajar said.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Can Fast Roller Coasters Cause Brain Injury?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
There's nothing like the highs and lows, the twists and turns, the thrills and that weightless feeling you can only find on a high-tech, fast-paced roller coaster. Over 300 million people flock to theme parks in the United States annually, and each year, these screaming, shrieking fans are seeking...