A hospital spokeswoman would not comment on their conditions to a News-Journal reporter. Those in the cars who have been identified are Randy France, who was in charge of the group, and Roy Patton, Kathy Webb, 52, Amanda Bustick, Shawna Praeter, Melissa Collins, 40, Kayla Wilson, Lonnie Baker, Gill Donald, and Dennis Creech, 47.Īll of the patients were alert as they were loaded onto ambulances and transported to Halifax Health Medical Center, paramedics said. Some of those injured were part of an organized group. Incomplete information was available initially about the people because of the chaotic scene. They’re trying to help him climb down,” one caller said.Īnother caller reported, “There’s a couple people on the ground and the girl is hanging, says she can’t breathe and they can’t get her out.” “One is on the ground and one male is inside of the roller coaster like he’s stuck hanging. Several callers to 9-1-1 reported seeing someone hanging from the car. Eight more were rescued from the cars behind it. When police arrived minutes after the first call for help, at least two people were ejected from the first car, which was dangling off the track, and hurled to the ground roughly 34 feet below, officials said. “The car in the front slid off the tracks and was hanging on the side of the ride the car in the middle was off the tracks and the last car was stationary on the tracks.” Three roller coaster cars were involved in the incident Thursday night, which occurred before 8:30 p.m., said Lyda Longa, police spokeswoman. It was not clear if those workers were actually inspectors. “We have launched an investigation to determine the cause of the accident, and anyone who should be held accountable will be held accountable.”Īrthur Ellis called police to say that around 9:45 a.m., while riding his bike, he observed two “possible maintenance workers working on the roller coaster tracks,” according to a Daytona Beach incident report. “Just yesterday, department inspectors conducted a thorough inspection of the ride, and it was found in compliance with state law,” Consumer Services’ Communications Director Jennifer Meale said Friday in a prepared statement. State officials said Friday morning that the roller coaster was inspected the same day as the crash. The latest eyewitness account of activities on the ride in the hours before the accident follows an earlier report by a witness who saw two people working on the roller coaster track at the Daytona Beach Boardwalk on Thursday morning, 10½ hours before the derailment. I saw them welding something and later, I was, like, ‘Oh, wow. “Between rides, he had a welding tool and he was about 5 feet from the brake mechanism. “We were on it about 5 o’clock,” said Zach Grant, 15, of Clemson, S.C., among thousands of teens attending the annual Passion Camp event at the Ocean Center. DAYTONA BEACH - A group of teens attending a religious camp at the Ocean Center witnessed a ride operator with a welding tool working on a brake mechanism at the base of the Sandblaster roller coaster Thursday afternoon, a little over three hours before a car derailed and sent two riders plunging three stories to the ground in an accident that has received international media attention, the teens said on Friday.
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