MONTREAL – A 35-year-old maintenance worker at La Ronde was killed at the Montreal amusement park on Friday afternoon after he was struck by a ride he was working on.
From what Urgences Santé officials understand, “They forgot to stop the ride” and it hit the man, said spokesperson David Sasson.
He couldn’t specify where the man was fatally struck or the name of the ride.
The man was declared dead at the scene. Another person was transported to hospital to be treated for shock, Sasson said. Urgences Santé received the call at about 1:30 p.m.
A La Ronde employee emerged from the park and handed assembled media a release, but offered no further comment before returning inside.
“One of our esteemed colleagues lost his life after he entered a restricted zone and was struck by the train of a rollercoaster. His identity will be kept confidential until his family has been notified of his death,” the release said. “Our thoughts and prayers are with his family.”
Inspectors from the Commission de la santé et de la sécurité du travail, the province’s workplace safety board, were en route to La Ronde mid-afternoon.
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They will start their investigation gathering facts and eye-witness accounts, said Émilie Pelletier, a CSST spokesperson. A report on an accident can take months, Pelletier said, depending on the gravity and complexity of the incident.
The ride has been closed until further notice but La Ronde remains open.
La Ronde did not specify the ride involved, but an eyewitness on the scene who spoke to The Gazette said the victim was working on the Vampire, a 32-metre ride that travels up to 80.5 kilometres per hour.
The witness, who did not see the accident, but lent a hand during the aftermath, saw the man’s body lying in a grassy area with restricted access under the Vampire.
He appeared to have sustained head trauma, she said, noting his head and shirt were covered with blood.
“I asked if they were going to perform CPR,” she said. But she said it was apparent he was beyond help.
The victim was wearing a La Ronde uniform and a head set, she said.
The witness said people were panicking and running around. She said she helped security, who seemed overwhelmed, clear the scene of bystanders. She also saw staff members being taken away in golf carts.
“A lot of them were upset and crying,” she said.
The Vampire is listed as one of La Ronde’s more extreme thrill rides.
According to La Ronde’s website, the roller coaster is 32 metres high at its peak and travels 80.5 km/h along a 823-metre track.
The Vampire has five hills and can handle 1,400 riders an hour.
It was designed by the Swiss coaster firm Bolliger & Mabillard.
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