Worlds of Fun visitors say they had to hold down young girls after alleged seat belt malfunction on roller-coaster

Worlds of Fun visitors say they had to hold down young girls after alleged seat belt malfunction on roller coaster. KMBC via CNN Newsource

KANSAS CITY, Missouri (KMBC) -- Roller-coaster rides reportedly turned from thrills to scares for a few recent guests at Worlds of Fun.

A couple said they were riding the Mamba, the tallest coaster at the Kansas City theme park, on Oct. 11 when a young girl behind them announced that her seat belt was not latched.

“It was completely undone,” said Chris Evins, who helped hold her down. “And there was this big of a gap between her and the lap bar.”

Evins and his wife held onto the girl and her friend next to her as the 205-foot-tall coaster went on.

“I said, ‘Look, you’re going to make it through the rest of this ride. We’re not going to let you go,’” Evins said.

Cassie Evins said both girls were crying as they held on.

“72 miles an hour, holding onto somebody. It’s terrifying,” Cassie Evins said.

One day after that incident, a guest reported another alleged seat belt malfunction on the Mamba.

A mother said she shouted that her son’s seat belt hadn’t locked as the cars entered their first climb.

This time, the ride reportedly stopped, and the seat belt, which the mother said was twisted and loose, was adjusted.

“We probably won’t go back for a while,” Cassie Evins said. “We need to see the change, and once we see that change, I will be comfortable taking my four children, who I am not comfortable taking currently.”

Inspectors from the Missouri Division of Fire Safety reportedly went to evaluate the coaster Thursday morning.

They told one of the affected guests that a ride inspector discovered some restraint devices that were “not functioning properly” on the Mamba, and the ride was taken out of service until repairs were made, which were expected to be done Thursday or Friday.

KMBC 9 reached out to Six Flags, the parent company of Worlds of Fun, for a statement on the situation.

“The safety of our guests and team members is a top priority,” a park spokesperson said. “Following the report of a guest concern on the ride earlier this month, 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, and it has operated safely since the initial concern was raised.

“The ride has undergone a comprehensive safety review, and we have implemented modifications requested by the Fire Marshall to ensure it meets or exceeds all applicable safety standards before it reopens to guests this evening.”

By Krista Tatschl