Rider seen unbuckled before almost 100-metre coaster drop at Canada's Wonderland
An incident at Canada's Wonderland in Vaughan is garnering attention as a rider's seatbelt became unbuckled on Leviathan, the tallest and fastest roller coaster in the country, moments before the stomach-lurching 306-foot drop.
A video now circulating online shows what appears to be an underage rider holding the loose end of his seatbelt in his hand, seemingly surprised — and almost amused — by what had just happened.
As he looks around for a reaction from other riders, several people can be heard telling him to buckle it back in as the coaster's ascent nears completion and the train prepares to make the drop.
The rider is seated in the front row, though it remains unclear whether the seatbelt came undone on its own or if he intentionally unlatched it for attention.
"Many of the restraint systems on our rides are designed with multiple levels of redundancy – like a lap bar and a seat belt – to keep riders safe. On this ride, the lap bar is the primary restraint and maintained the rider's safety throughout the experience," a park representative tells blogTO.
They confirm that their guests' safety is their number-one priority and that no concerns were reported following this ride.
The video, however, has garnered significant online attention, and many commenters are pointing out that seat belts on roller coasters are not always a vital safety feature. "That seat belt is useless. Before that, the coaster didn't have it; they only added it later. The other models of that ride don't use a seatbelt," someone commented.
The user went on to explain that riders sometimes unbuckle their seatbelts for added thrill, as it can increase airtime and give them a greater sense of weightlessness.
Another user offered additional context, writing, "Former ride operator at another park here! This is incredibly dumb and will get you kicked out of the park, but on this particular ride, the seatbelts are just a lawyer-pleaser, and the ride ran without them for several years. But some rides genuinely need them."
Many other commenters echoed the sentiment, noting that Leviathan (which was also recently involved in "valleying" incidents last month) is one of several rides that can operate safely without seatbelts being buckled.
However, these comments should not be used as an excuse to engage in unhinged behavior on roller coasters, such as removing safety features while in the seats. Had this situation escalated, it could have created significant liability concerns for the park.
Coincidentally, the incident occurred on the same day it was reported that a 13-year-old boy attempted to get off Tiana's Bayou Adventure at Disneyland and plunged 50 feet. He survived the incident, surprisingly unscathed.
Beyond the immediate safety concerns, both this video and the Disneyland incident inadvertently highlight the importance of Canada's Wonderland's chaperone policy.
The policy requires all guests under the age of 15 to be accompanied by an adult aged 21 or older after 4 p.m. each day. Any underage guest found unaccompanied during those hours may be removed from the park.
The representative also mentions that "ride safety is a partnership between guests and our park. It's important for guests to follow all posted guidelines and verbal instructions, including ride restraint procedures and our loose article policy prohibiting filming on rides with phones."
They encourage park-goers to report issues to staff immediately, and that "any guests found to be violating safety policies will be removed from the park."
Canada's Wonderland is located at 1 Canada's Wonderland Dr. in Vaughan, Ont.
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