A 57yearold woman has died after falling from a moving roller coaster car while “slipping out of her seat,” according to German officials. The accident happened on Saturday afternoon (6th) in the Klotti wildlife and leisure park in the town of Klotten. Although the exact circumstances are still unclear, she fell from a height of 8 meters.
Today, the Koblenz public prosecutor’s office clarified that the woman, a resident of St. Wendel, “slid from his seat and fell from a height of about eight meters”. She died on the spot.
Authorities are working on the cause of death and are investigating whether “it was due to the fault of a third party”. The woman’s body is autopsied.
“The investigation is still ongoing,” said a police spokesman. Experts will also examine the roller coaster and cart “to find out the possible causes of the accident,” German newspaper Bild reported.
Authorities are interviewing witnesses to the tragedy. The public prosecutor’s office also emphasized today that “for the time being there is no initial suspicion of criminal acts”.
Despite this, the familyrecreationoriented park with attractions for all ages has been closed indefinitely.
The Hot Ride roller coaster is one of the park’s biggest attractions. It opened in 2004, is 532 meters long and has a maximum height of 20.5 meters. The journey takes about 50 seconds.
The amusement park advertises that the ride is “not for the faint of heart”.
“Many curves, maximum incline and a speed of up to 60 kilometers per hour can take your breath away and make your heart beat faster,” says the park’s website.
According to coaster website CoastersAndMore, The Hot Ride’s construction project was a process that continued over the years and was divided into three phases. The designers’ main goal was to make people feel like they were walking around a volcanic area.
Unlike other devices, The Hot Ride features five carriages that move individually, each carrying four people. The wagons are brought to a height of 20.5 meters, from where they circle the “volcano” at high speed. The wagons pass scenarios with rocks up to six meters high, gorges and tunnels.