A water ride accident at the Cedar Point amusement park left seven people injured on Friday. The Shoot the Rapids ride accidentally rolled backwards and flipped over in the water when it malfunctioned.
Park operators stopped the ride after the accident in which the ride flipped on the first hill. The riders had to be helped off the log flume by park police officer, medical technicians, ride operators and other park visitors.
Witnesses said that the boat flipped on its side or upside down. Park officials would not confirm how it landed after it rolled backwards.
One witness, Matthew Orr, told the Toledo Blade that people were belted into the boat and were trapped when the ride flipped over.
"We jumped in and helped them get out," Orr said. "If we didn't help, I don't even know what would have happened."
One guest, who claims she was on the ride at the time of the incident, called 911 and told the dispatcher "Some people are still in the water."
According to Cedar Point officials, six of the seven passengers in the incident were evaluated and treated at the park. They were released but another passengers was taken to the hospital for further evaluation before being allowed to go home.
The Shoot the Rapids log flume ride takes guests over hills and sends them plunging into water below. According to the Cedar Point website, "Shoot the Rapids feels like a real wild river adventure with canyons, a tunnel and something unexpected around every corner!"
Cedar Point officials are investigating the accident. They reported the incident to state officials. The ride, which opened in 2010, will stay closed until the park and state officials complete the investigation.
"The safety of our guests is our number one priority," Cedar Point told the Toledo Blade.
Cedar Point is located in Sandusky, near Lake Erie in Ohio.
This wasn't the only amusement park accident over the weekend. On Friday, a woman died after falling off a roller coaster at a Six Flags park in Arlington, Texas. The Texas Giant roller coaster, which is called the tallest steel-hybrid roller coaster in the world, reaches 14 stories high and has a 79 degree drop.
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