Canada's Wonderland debunks claim someone tried to take out coaster with hacksaw

Here's a great example of why you shouldn't believe everything you see online.

A video of an Aug. 23 incident at Canada's Wonderland that has been gaining attention on social media, claiming that a guest removed from the park tried to damage a roller coaster with a hacksaw, has now been debunked.

The video shared to TikTok and widely reposted across social media bears a caption claiming a weapon-wielding man attempted to damage the track of a major roller coaster at the park.

"A man was arrested for allegedly bringing a hacksaw to cut a track on the Leviathan," reads the caption of the video, while the text on top of said
man arrested at Canada's Wonderland."

@shilohbearmusic Man arrested at #canadaswonderland 🤔 #leviathan #arrest #shilohbearmusic ♬ Bad Boys - Inner Circle

While the video itself didn't show any hacksaws or other cutting tools, let alone someone being put into handcuffs, or even interacting with the police, the damage was already done, and the rumour began to quickly spread.

A simple investigation has shown that, in fact, no rusty hacksaw was used, nor was there any confirmed attempt to derail the 305-foot-tall coaster. 

Canada's Wonderland's Director of Public Relations, Grace Peacock, has set the record straight, providing a statement on the incident that refutes the sensationalist details circulating online.

"We are committed to providing a safe environment for our guests and have zero tolerance for inappropriate behaviour," said Peacock.

She explains that "In-park police and park security responded to a call on the ride platform where a guest was being unruly over a missing personal item. The guest was removed from the park, and the matter was turned over to the police." 

While Peacock could confirm the event took place on Saturday, Aug. 23, that's about where the truth ends. No roller-coaster hating vigilante, no squads of cops, and no diabolical plot to derail a coaster.

Although Leviathan has had a couple of tense moments in the recent past, like an apparent stalling (that turned out to just be a staffer stopping the ride for safety), we're glad to report that this story also isn't true.