CHARLOTTE — As repairs continue on Carowinds cracked Fury 325 rollercoaster, parkgoers are enjoying other rides just days after the damage was discovered.
Channel 9 brought you the story when a video from a guest showed a crack in one of Fury 325′s support beams, causing the track to separate when a cart went past. Soon the park announced the closure of the ride, and on Monday the North Carolina Department of Labor came for an inspection.
While some have now sworn off coasters forever, Carowinds regulars like Andre Richardson, who holds season passes, say the ride damage makes him hesitant but won’t stop him from hopping on other rides.
“I’m hesitant about the whole park, but I don’t think it will stop me from getting on roller coasters in the future for sure; that’s what we do; that’s our thing,” Richardson said.
Channel 9 reached out to B&M Inc., the Switzerland-based company that designed the coaster, for comment. The company sent us this response:
‘We have a representative from our company on site. We will continue to work closely with Carowinds to determine the cause, the repair, and the reopening of the coaster. Please rest assured that safety is our top priority.’
On Tuesday, a theme-park content creator, ‘Theme Park Predictions’, caught what appeared to be welded-on braces around the crack on the support beam. Channel 9 was able to speak with a former Carowinds medic who says she trusts the park’s repair process.
“They’re an excellent crew; they come in early in the morning; maintenance is running the tracks; they are inspecting the rides constantly; we are always running drills; they’re doing checkpoints; but they are always on top,” Kimberly Dalton told Channel 9.
Carowinds has not said when Fury 325 will reopen, and the park hasn’t made another official comment since Friday.
(WATCH BELOW: ‘Terrifying’: Inspectors arrive at Carowinds, examine break on Fury 325 support beam)
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