Family Kingdom Swamp Fox roller coaster paralyzes man

While a North Carolina couple was visiting Family Kingdom Amusement Park in Myrtle Beach on July 23, 2021, the husband rode the Swamp Fox Roller Coaster. The ride left him paralyzed and left him with a spinal cord injury.

The couple filed suit in Horry County Fifteenth Judicial Circuit Court seeking damages. The plaintiffs are suing for loss of companionship, friendship, assistance, support, company and more.

“While riding the roller coaster, as a result of the negligence, carelessness, recklessness, willfulness and promiscuity of the defendants, (the man) suffered an acute spinal cord injury which resulted in quadriplegia,” reads the lawsuit, which names Family Kingdom Inc., Leigh V. Meese, Donnie Snipes and Ocean Avenue Attractions LLC as defendants.

In the lawsuit, the plaintiffs said the amusement park failed to inspect the ride to make sure it was working properly, according to a USA TODAY article. The plaintiffs also said the ride’s problems made it “extremely dangerous, more so than your typical roller coaster.”

What did the amusement park say in its statement?

A statement from the amusement park said the incident occurred before the current owners purchased the park.

“We are disappointed to be sued over an incident that allegedly occurred 20 months before we owned the park,” the statement read. “We cannot comment further on this matter as it is an ongoing legal matter.”

However, this is not the first time the amusement park has been sued.

The same rollercoaster had previously injured one of the guests.

Family Kingdom Amusement Park was sued in 2019 by a woman who was injured while riding the roller coaster the previous year. The lawsuit claimed the ride lifted off the tracks and plunged down, aggravating a back injury. It also said the ride was significantly more challenging than other roller coasters. Online records show the case was ultimately dismissed.

What You Need to Know About the Swamp Fox Roller Coaster

According to a USA TODAY article, the Swamp Fox Roller Coaster opened in May 1966 and was originally named the “Red Devil” because of its colors. It is 72 feet tall and has a track length of about 2,400 feet. The amusement park’s website states that the roller coaster has undergone several renovations and upgrades over the years to ensure safety, “perpetuating its status as a classic wooden roller coaster despite the advent of modern steel roller coasters with advanced technology.” The roller coaster is 55 years old.

Top 10 Fun Things to Do at America’s Amusement Parks

If roller coasters aren’t your thing, try these attractions instead:

∎ No. 1: Celtic Fyre: Live Irish Dancing at Busch Gardens Williamsburg, Williamsburg, Virginia

∎ No. 2: Rivertown Ramblers at Silver Dollar City, Branson, Missouri

∎ No. 3: RetroSpect at Carowinds, Charlotte, North Carolina

∎ No. 4: Turn It Up! Remix at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay, Tampa, FL

∎ No. 5: Under the Stars at Kings Island, Mason, Ohio

∎ No. 6: “Happily Ever After” at Magic Kingdom Park in Orlando, Florida

∎ No. 7: The Lion King Festival at Disney’s Animal Kingdom in Orlando, Florida

∎ No. 8: Bourne Stuntacular at Universal Studios Florida, Orlando, Florida

∎ No. 9: Indiana Jones’ Epic Stunt Show! at Disney’s Hollywood Studios in Orlando, Florida

∎ No. 10: Luminous The Symphony of Us at EPCOT, Orlando, Florida

Nina Tran covers trending topics for The Greenville News. Contact her by email: [email protected]