Carowinds shares timeline for repairing Fury 325 roller coaster

CHARLOTTE — Carowinds is sharing its plans to repair the Fury 325 roller coaster after a massive crack was found in one of its support beams.

Last Thursday, the amusement park provided a lengthy statement to Channel 9 about the process.

The park said its maintenance team and the ride maker, Bolliger & Mabillard Consulting Engineers Inc. (B&M), have been inspecting the ride since July 1. They were able to determine that the beam fractured along a weld line in the steel support column.

On Wednesday, Carowinds sent a major update to Channel 9, saying that the support column would be replaced on Thursday.

A statement from Carowinds said: “The new support column, along with hardware from B&M, will be delivered. Our skilled associates will diligently install the column, ensuring precise alignment and securely fastening the track/column connection. Following the completion of the column installation, an as-built survey will be conducted to accurately determine the elevations of the base plate.”

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Jeremy Wagner shared a video of the damage with Channel 9 that shows a car full of riders go past the crack, causing it to expand. Carowinds shut the ride down on July 30, putting out a statement afterward.

Then on Thursday, Carowinds said it’s working with B&M to remove and replace the column. The new column will be delivered next week.

After the column is replaced, park representatives said they’ll test the ride extensively, per standard protocol, to make sure the roller coaster is safe.

“These will include an accelerometer test that uses sensors to measure any variation in the ride experience,” the statement reads. “After that, we plan to operate the ride for 500 full cycles, performing tests and inspections of the entire ride throughout that period. Once this phase is completed, we will ask B&M and the third-party testing firm to perform a final inspection to ensure the ride exceeds all required specifications.

“That seems pretty legit,” said park-goer Jacob Sliger. “It’s better than a state fair who doesn’t do it and then somebody dies. So, it seems pretty legit to me.”

Park representatives touted B&M’s record as a ride manufacturer, saying its reputation is “impeccable” and its known for its “quality and engineering.” The park added that rides like the Fury are “designed with redundancies in place to ensure the safety of guests in the event of an issue such as this.”

However, Carowinds now plans to add more inspection procedures, though they said they already regularly inspect the ride. The new safety measures include using drone cameras to inspect hard-to-reach areas.

Carowinds season passholder Courtney Brumagin, of Fort Mill, doesn’t consider herself a thrill-seeker. However, she does seek out fun and finds it at Carowinds.

“I actually don’t like roller coasters as it is, so I stick to the water rides,” she told Channel 9′s Erika Jackson.

Brumagin said her husband and daughter were on the Fury 325 days before the discovery of the crack.

“Pretty scary,” she said. “They could’ve been on it. My family could’ve been on it, and it makes me wonder.”

Brumagin said the explanation of how the coaster will be repaired may convince some people in her family to ride the refurbished Fury 325.

“There’s a good chance that when that one opens up, the Fury, they’ll be riding that again, also,” she said.

Brumagin said she won’t be boarding the coaster.

“The safety of our guests and associates will always be Carowinds’ top priority. Once the new support column is in place and all testing and inspections have been completed, we will work with the North Carolina Department of Labor’s Elevator and Amusement Device Bureau to prepare Fury 325 for reopening,” the Carowinds statement concluded. “We will share an update on the reopening of the ride when a date has been finalized.”

(WATCH PREVIOUS: ‘Terrifying’: Inspectors arrive at Carowinds, examine break on Fury 325 support beam)