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Figment50
06-22-2007, 03:01 AM
Girl's feet severed on ride at Six Flags in Kentucky
POSTED: 12:13 a.m. EDT, June 22, 2007

(CNN) -- A girl's feet were cut off Thursday when a free-fall thrill ride malfunctioned at the Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom Amusement Park in Louisville, Kentucky, police said.

A cord wrapped around the 16-year-old's feet and severed them at her ankles while she was on the "Superman Tower of Power," a police dispatcher said. The girl was taken to a local hospital.

An unidentified witness told CNN affiliate WLKY she saw a cable on the ride snap.

"The people on the ride just came and hit the ground," she said. "When I got up there, the lady she was just sitting there, and she didn't have no legs. ... And she was just there, calm, probably in shock from everything."

"That could have been all of us -- riding that ride," witness Whitney Sandfer told CNN affiliate WDRB/WMYO.

The incident took place shortly before 5 p.m. ET, according to Six Flags spokeswoman Wendy Goldberg. The park remained open, but the ride in question was shut down and will remain so until the full investigation is complete, Goldberg said.

During the ride, passengers are lifted to 177 feet, suspended momentarily and then dropped, according to the park's Web site.

Passengers drop 154 feet at 54 mph, stopping "just 20 terrifying feet above the pavement," it adds.

"I seen the car go up. Then, like, the cable broke, I heard -- pwchh -- and I heard a lot of people screaming," Chris Stinnett, who was at a ride next to the Superman Tower of Power, told WDRB/WMYO.

"The cable went under the car -- and I seen it pull up and hit a lot of people -- and I seen them bring their legs up," Stinnett said.

The ride was introduced in 1995.

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I think what happen is really sad and think that some love from some open hearts and pixie dust should be sent to this poor girl and her family. I'll start sending right now.:
:pixie::pixie::pixie::pixie::heart::heart:

snifflesmcg
06-22-2007, 03:13 AM
I know, isn't that terrible. I saw that on the news tonight.

Figment50
06-22-2007, 05:16 AM
Yeah it is and that why I started this post figure the people involve good use some good sprit and something I notice and like about his site is everyone one here has a big heart and cares for everyone.

disneydeb
06-22-2007, 06:00 AM
That's Horrrific! :pixie::pixie::pixie::pixie: Bless her!

little disney lovers
06-22-2007, 06:26 AM
That poor girl, What bad luck, Just in the wrong place at the wrong time and her whole life has changed. She's probably got months, if not years of recovery ahead of her and her entire world will never be the same again. I will be thinking of her and her family.

T-Belle
06-22-2007, 08:27 AM
So sad!!!


:pixie::pixie:

mrsgaribaldi
06-22-2007, 08:51 AM
My God, that is awful. The poor girl. Prayers and :pixie::pixie::pixie::pixie::pixie:on the way.

scottgr
06-22-2007, 09:18 AM
I send prayers and :pixie: to this girl. How sad.

tiggers_1
06-22-2007, 09:39 AM
:pixie::pixie::pixie::pixie: & prayers for the girl and her family.

ibrowse17
06-22-2007, 09:58 AM
Very sad, we wish her and her family the best.

Bethis26fan
06-22-2007, 11:32 AM
That's so sad and scary. The only up side is at 16 she young enough with the things DR's can do now days she will probably still live a pretty normal life.

thrillme
06-22-2007, 11:37 AM
That's so sad and scary. The only up side is at 16 she young enough with the things DR's can do now days she will probably still live a pretty normal life.

I thought she was 13?

No matter 13 or 16 it's horrible. My prayers are with her and her family.

I did hear something about the surgeons who preformed the first hand transplant are currently working on her. I pray it works.

Christine
06-22-2007, 11:46 AM
Oh my goodness... how horrible! That just made my heart sink!

luvdiznee
06-22-2007, 12:15 PM
Much prayer to her and her family as well!

angedeaile
06-22-2007, 02:11 PM
Wow..how tragic!

Sadly, this only reassures my fear for rides like those....although I am sure horrible accidents could happen on even a gentler ride like Dumbo.

Either way, that is so sad and I will pray for her recovery :pixie:

murphy1
06-22-2007, 02:25 PM
This just makes me sick that this happened! We had something at a Six Flags here in Atlanta happen a couple years back on a coaster I believe. I seriously hope they found her feet b/c they can do some kind of reattachment surgery on many limbs now.

Jasper
06-22-2007, 02:28 PM
What makes this doubly scary for me is that this park is only about an hour from where I live. I have been there several times myself and know a lot of other people who go there frequently. While I don't know the identity of who this girl was, it just points out how easily something horrible can happen to anyone at any time!!

My prayers are with the girl and her family!!

BrerSchultzy
06-22-2007, 04:20 PM
This just makes me sick that this happened! We had something at a Six Flags here in Atlanta happen a couple years back on a coaster I believe. I seriously hope they found her feet b/c they can do some kind of reattachment surgery on many limbs now.

According to CNN, they did find her feet, and she is in surgery right now.

:tink::tink::tink: for a successful operation.

merlinmagic4
06-22-2007, 06:32 PM
:pixie: :pixie: :pixie: for that poor girl. That is terrifying. I don't know if I can ever send my kids on a thrill ride like that again.

GrumpyFan
06-22-2007, 07:58 PM
Terrible accident. I pray they're able to help her.

ariel03
06-22-2007, 07:59 PM
More blessings her way. :pixie:
Hope she can use her feet and legs again some day.

chrisb26
06-22-2007, 08:15 PM
I couldn't believe this when I saw it on the news this is terrible. Something else I saw was that a girl that was younger then her was originally sitting in the seat and she switched seats for some reason so she was on the other side. That is such a terrible thing. I have been on a ride which is basically the same thing at the Six Flags by my house and you never thing of something like this happening. I might really question going on that ride again.

here is some :pixie: :pixie: :pixie: :pixie: for the girl and her family. We just have to thank God she survived such a terrible accident.

disneyfan369
06-22-2007, 08:25 PM
That poor girl. I hope she does well in her surgery. Prayers and :pixie: to her, her family, and her friends.

thrillme
06-23-2007, 03:46 PM
I hope we hear some status on how she's doing. I totally respect the right to "privacy" perhaps I'm terrible for really wanting to hear how she's doing. I really hate it when anything happens to a child or ANYONE at any park. But especially something like this to a child really hits me. I don't HAVE to know them to hurt for them.

I really don't care whether anybody gets sued, loses their job etc. I'm really just hoping for some good news for her.

Juggalotus
06-26-2007, 01:48 PM
I wouldn't worry too much about riding this ride again. You could snap that cable a million times and not have this accident happen again, it really is a fluke.

DREAMADREAM93
06-26-2007, 01:59 PM
This just makes me sick that this happened! We had something at a Six Flags here in Atlanta happen a couple years back on a coaster I believe.

Hm- my birthday is in a week and me and my friends are going to the Six Flags here in Atlanta. And now im kind of creeped out.

A couple years ago here, i know there was a worker in an unauthorized zone under the
Batman coaster and as it came by, the man was kicked in the head by a passenger on the ride and he was killed. The girls ankle was also broken. I was wondering if that was the incident you were reffering to because if not please let me know !!

JOrdan :]

ghost999
06-26-2007, 02:41 PM
many prayers and many:pixie::pixie::pixie: i just hope that she will be ok and live a great life:wishes: and:mickey:

disneydeb
06-27-2007, 12:44 PM
I hope we hear some status on how she's doing. I totally respect the right to "privacy" perhaps I'm terrible for really wanting to hear how she's doing. I really hate it when anything happens to a child or ANYONE at any park. But especially something like this to a child really hits me. I don't HAVE to know them to hurt for them.

I really don't care whether anybody gets sued, loses their job etc. I'm really just hoping for some good news for her.

I just heard on our CBS news affiliate that she is being treated at Vanderbilt hospital in Nashville. I'm sure she'll get great care there.
The news anchor did not say anything about her present condition .

thrillme
06-27-2007, 03:17 PM
I did read a news report that she is in stable condition and the parents are grateful to all the prayers and blessings being sent from all over.

They really didn't state if they were able to save her feet or not. They're still holding that information back. I guess it's going to take time to discover if they could or not. I still pray that her recovery will go well and I hope they keep us aprised on it.

I really would like to hear some good news.

rsumrall
06-28-2007, 01:52 PM
What a tragedy! I'm skeptical of all the litigation in our culture these days, but if a court case was ever deserved and needed, this is the scenario. I hope that girl owns Six Flags when it is all said and done.

MickeyandTink
06-28-2007, 07:46 PM
What a tragedy! I'm skeptical of all the litigation in our culture these days, but if a court case was ever deserved and needed, this is the scenario. I hope that girl owns Six Flags when it is all said and done.

Just because a horrible accident occurred, it does not necessarily mean Six Flags should pay humongous sums of money to the poor girl. I agree they should take care of all of her medical costs and perhaps some sum of money for pain and suffering, long term effects, etc., but accidents can happen.

Disney hasn't been exactly free of tragedies either. There have been a several deaths at various disney parks over the past several years (granted, not generally due to malfunctioning equipment), but I haven't heard anybody calling for WDW to be shut down.

murphy1
06-28-2007, 10:02 PM
Jordan, yes, that was the incident, I just couldn't remember the details. Don't worry, these incidents are extremely rare, please have a great time on your birthday. I still remember how mad people were waiting for Space Mtn to reopen after a minor emergency. I was totally irked that these people were more worried about going on this ride rather than them getting the ride fixed.

I really hope this girl is getting anything she needs right now, this is just terrible.

battlefield2freak
07-04-2007, 01:02 PM
this has been a terrible accident and it has hurt six flags jentucky kingdoms attendance alot. i was there last friday and it appeared as if no one had been working on it and the magnet that puls the car up to the top was left up there. they did release the girls name but i forgot it. heres waht was in last nights paper:

Teen's right foot reattached, family says in statement


LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) -- The right foot of a 13-year-old girl involved in a gruesome amusement park accident has been reattached, but her left foot was too severely damaged to repair, her family said in a statement Tuesday.

Kaitlyn Lasitter of Louisville remained in stable condition at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tenn., Dr. Douglas Weikert, a surgeon and assistant professor at Vanderbilt, said in the statement.

"Things are progressing as expected over this first ten days," he said.

Lasitter's feet were severed just above the ankles as she rode the Superman Tower of Power thrill ride at Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom on June 21.

WLKY-TV in Louisville first reported the latest statement.

Investigators with the Kentucky Department of Agriculture said they've taken possession of a cable they believe broke and severed Lasitter's feet, Wilbur Frye, executive director of the department's Office of Consumer and Environmental Protection, has said. The investigation will continue for several more weeks, Frye said.

Lasitter's mother, Monique Lasitter, thanked the doctors, nurses and hospital staff for their work.

"We would not want her to be at any other hospital during this difficult time," the statement said.

The state has been trying to determine what caused the cable to break. Department investigators were taking written statements from witnesses, reviewing statements and analyzing physical evidence and photographs of the scene, Frye said.

The ride was last inspected April 5 and found to be operating normally, Frye said. The ride passed inspection in each of the last four years, according to records.

The ride lifts passengers 177 feet straight up, then drops them nearly the same distance at speeds reaching 54 miles per hour.

Six Flags shut down similar rides at parks in St. Louis; Gurnee, Ill.; and near Washington as a safety precaution, said Wendy Goldberg, a spokeswoman for Six Flags.

© 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our Privacy Policy.

this will probably be all that will be in the paper unless a big break comes in the investigation. if anything new ill post it

ImagiAsh
07-05-2007, 03:14 PM
I heard about this! If anyone is familiar with Six Flags Great Adventure (in NJ), I was envisioning the Superman Ride there, which is a rollarcoaster that has foot and chest restraints, because the seats retract back so the rider is lieing in a superman position...not the same ride type as the one mentioned in this accident. What a terrible thing to happen. :shake:

battlefield2freak
07-05-2007, 03:55 PM
no this is a free fall ride. here ill describe how the superman tower of power works. a magnet at the bottom is attached to 2 cables for each car and the cables hoist the magnet up to the top and the car sits at the top for a few moments then they release the magnet and the car comes back to the station at 50 MPH and the brakes stops it about 20 ft. above the station and then it slowly slides back into the station and then the cables bring the magnet back down. hope that helped

Scar
07-05-2007, 04:30 PM
i was there last friday and it appeared as if no one had been working on it and the magnet that puls the car up to the top was left up there.I suppose this is why.
"The state has been trying to determine what caused the cable to break. Department investigators were taking written statements from witnesses, reviewing statements and analyzing physical evidence and photographs of the scene, Frye said."

thrillme
07-07-2007, 11:32 PM
Thanks for the update Battlefield2freak. I'm glad to hear they were able to save at least one. Now I only pray they will be able to help her the rest of the way.

My DS and I have ridden this time of ride NUMEROUS times. On a "positive" note...apparently other safety features were in place to prevent the rest of the people from getting hurt. I really think that the cable wrapping around this young girls feet was a total "freak" accident. I don't know WHY the cable broke hopefully we'll hear something more about that later.

battlefield2freak
07-08-2007, 08:23 PM
no problem i just saw it in the paper and figured i should post it. i have not rode it due to its height lol but i was able to see how it worked when i went last time. i just wonder if this will make them put a place to put your feet on so that can happen. so far since that article was in the paper i havent heard anything new but i bet there will be another little thing when she is released to go home, which will more then likely have some updates in the investigation.

battlefield2freak
07-15-2007, 02:30 PM
theres been several articles in the paper these last few days. theres at least 3 ill post them all

sunday July 15

Teen injured in amusement park accident released from hospital

By BRETT BARROUQUERE
Associated Press Writer


LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) -- A Louisville teenager has been released from a Tennessee hospital, three weeks after her feet were cut off in an amusement park accident.

Kaitlyn Lasitter, 13, was discharged from Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt in Nashville, Tenn., the hospital said in a written statement on behalf of the girl's family on Saturday.

"With her discharge from the hospital, Kaitlyn has completed only the first step in her long journey toward recovery," said Vanderbilt University Medical Center spokesman John Howser. "Kaitlyn and her parents are still facing many challenges ahead."

Doctors at the hospital reattached Lasitter's right foot, according to a family statement released earlier this month. Doctors were unable to save her left foot.

The statement did not say where Lasitter will undergo rehabilitation or if the family would return home to Louisville. A hospital spokesman said Lasitter was discharged either late Friday night or early Saturday morning.

A message left for Larry Franklin, an attorney who represents the Lasitter family, was not immediately returned Saturday.

Carolyn McLean, a spokeswoman for Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom, said representatives of the park have tried to contact Lasitter's family several times while she was in the hospital and will renew those efforts now that she has been released.

"We hope to contact them soon," McLean said Saturday.

Lasitter was injured June 21, when a cable broke on the Superman Tower of Power ride at Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom. State investigators have been trying to determine what caused the cable to break. Investigators were taking written statements from witnesses, reviewing statements and analyzing physical evidence and photographs of the scene.

Lasitter's parents, Randall and Monique Lasitter, sued Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom in Jefferson County Circuit Court on Thursday and are asking a judge to order the park not to destroy the cable that investigators believe tore off the girl's feet.

The lawsuit claims the park failed to maintain the equipment and ensure riders' safety. Carolyn McLean, a spokeswoman for Kentucky Kingdom, said she had not reviewed the lawsuit and declined to comment Friday.

Ted Sloan, a spokesman for the Kentucky Department of Agriculture, which inspects amusement park rides, said the investigation into the accident is continuing.

The ride lifts passengers 177 feet straight up, then drops them nearly the same distance at speeds reaching 54 miles per hour. The accident caused Six Flags to shut down similar rides at parks in several states.

© 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our Privacy Policy.

Friday July 13


courier-journal.com > Local News

Friday, July 13, 2007 E-mail this | Print page



Family sues Ky. Kingdom over accident

By Jason Riley
The Courier-Journal



The parents of a 13-year-old Louisville girl whose feet were severed by a Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom amusement ride on June 21 sued the theme park yesterday, claiming it failed to maintain the equipment and ensure riders' safety.

Kaitlyn Lasitter's parents, Randall and Monique Lasitter, are seeking an unspecified amount of punitive and compensatory damages as well as a jury trial.



The lawsuit filed in Jefferson Circuit Court also asks that a judge issue a temporary injunction to stop the park from altering or destroying the Superman Tower of Power ride or the cable it says broke and tore off both of Kaitlyn's feet above the ankles.

Carolyn McLean, a spokeswoman for the theme park, said she had not seen the lawsuit and could not comment.

However, McLean said the ride is shut down and "will continue to be shut down until we decide what to do with it" after the investigation is complete.

Kaitlyn, a Highland Middle School student, is in stable condition at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville. Doctors there reattached her right foot, but couldn't save the left one because of the severity of the injury.

Kaitlyn's parents declined to comment yesterday through hospital spokesman John Howser, referring calls to their attorney, Larry Franklin.

Franklin did not return phone calls to his office and home seeking comment.

Howser said Kaitlyn is recovering well.

Investigators have said it might be weeks before they find out what caused the ride malfunction.

The lawsuit alleges Kentucky Kingdom was negligent in inspecting, testing, maintaining and operating the Superman Tower of Power ride, which also is known as the Hellavator.

The lawsuit also claimed the theme park was careless in operating a "highly dangerous ride at high speeds."

All amusement park rides must be inspected annually by the Kentucky Department of Agriculture Office of Consumer and Environmental Protection before the park opens for business. The Tower of Power was inspected April 5 and found to be operating normally.

The ride lifts passengers 177 feet, then drops them at speeds reaching 54 mph.

Kaitlyn, according to the lawsuit, has suffered permanent injury, severe emotional pain and her ability to earn money has been impaired.

The suit also requested damages for the emotional pain Kaitlyn's parents have endured as well as money to care for their daughter during her recovery and "well being for the rest of their lives."

Claims made in filing a lawsuit give only one side of the case.

The Superman Tower of Power remains under a stop-operation order issued by the department, which inspects amusement park rides.

Before the ride would operate again, the department must inspect and test it.

Friday late afternoon, this isnt an article but these are the audio tapes to 9-1-1 from witnesses at the park. some are graphic

courier-journal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070713/NEWS01/70713044/1008/ARCHIVES

Beast_fanatic
07-28-2007, 12:30 PM
Girl Hurt At Six Flags Needs More Surgery
Teenager Had Feet Severed On Superman Tower Of Power Ride

POSTED: 7:34 pm CDT July 27, 2007


LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- The teenage girl injured at Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom must have more surgery because of complications, according to family members, reported WLKY-TV.

The family of Kaitlyn Lasitter issued a statement Friday, updating their daughter's condition.

Kaitlyn's parents said their daughter's physical and emotional pain is "unimaginable."


The 13-year-old's feet were severed while riding the Superman Tower of Power in June.

Her family said the complications are with her left leg, where doctors were not able to reattach her foot.

The statement from the Lasitters reads, "It is disheartening as parents to have witnesses call us personally and tell us that weeks even days before the accident that they were told that the seat Kaitlyn was in was having problems at that time and that all of this could have been prevented."

In early July, Kaitlyn's family filed a lawsuit against the park.

The suit seeks unspecified damages, alleging negligence in inspecting the ride.

It also asks the judge to issue a temporary injunction to stop park officials from altering or destroying the ride.

Randy and Monique Lasitter said they're expecting a long recovery and said they still aren't sure if their daughter will be able to keep her right leg.

They also said they hope when the ordeal is over, they can help prevent this from happening to anyone else.

nicole48040
09-29-2007, 07:42 PM
It's so sad and completely tragic, yet it amazes me how many people are shocked by it. It is the same as getting in a car or on an airplane. There are dangers and risks to basically everything that we do. We can minimize them as much as humanly possible, but they do still remain. I am terribly sorry for both this girl and her family, and I wish them all the very best. As for the rest of us, we all need to be aware of the risks that we take and not blindly go forth thinking bad things cannot happento us. They can and sometimes will happen, and all we can do is be ready to deal with them. It's the sad state of mortality.

battlefield2freak
10-05-2007, 05:01 PM
well what is shocking about this is that this is a rare occurance whereas car and airplane crashes are occur all the time ( airplanes meaning prop types ) and this ride was kept in good condition every year and they had just replaced all the cables in 2005 and they typically last 4 years at the maximum and it had just been inspected about 2-3 months before the accident occured also inspect each ride at the park everym morning as usually before park opening so it was basically prevented nearly as much as possible.

as an update there hasnt been any news lately on the testing or the lawsuit. last thing reported was they filed a lawsuit against six flags and that they was looking for a company to test the cable removed from the ride