A Missouri couple saved a young girl who screamed in terror when her seatbelt came undone on a rollercoaster at Worlds of Fun amusement park in Kansas City, Missouri.
On October 11, Chris and Cassie Evins, who are season ticket holders at the park, were riding the Mamba when they heard a “blood-curdling scream” from the girl sitting behind them.
Chris, recalling the terrifying moment, said: “We get on the roller coaster and the very first hill, the girl sitting behind my wife just lets out this blood-curdling scream like I’ve never heard before," per KCTV5.
Initially, the man thought the scream was just from the girl being scared, possibly on her first ride. But that assumption quickly changed when the girl shouted: “My seatbelt came undone.” In that instant, the pair knew they had to act fast.
Securing the Girl in Mid-Ride
As the roller coaster reached speeds of up to 75 miles per hour and ascended to dizzying heights, Chris quickly looped his arm under the girl’s lap bar, which had a significant gap between the girl and the bar.
“I had looped my arm underneath her lap bar, which had a pretty big gap between her and the lap bar. So at this point, I’m seeing a huge space, no seatbelt,” he explained. Meanwhile, his wife pushed down on the girl’s legs to prevent her from being lifted out of her seat.
As the coaster continued through its twists and turns, the Evinses worked tirelessly to keep the girl secure.
“As we crested each hill or as we started to go up to the top, I recognized that it was going to lift her out of her seat,” Chris recalled. “So I kind of shifted our positions to, instead of hold her, to push down on her whole body to keep her from coming out of the seat while we’re going over those hills.”
Despite the high-speed, high-altitude ride, the couple managed to hold the girl in place until the coaster finally came to a stop.
"A Drastically Different Outcome"
Chris expressed his disbelief at how close the situation came to disaster. “My whole thought after the incident is, what if it had been somebody else in our seats? What if it was others, her friends?” he said.
The terrifying moment was captured in a photo taken by the ride’s camera, showing the girl screaming as the Evinses tried desperately to keep her from falling.
Though the couple never got the chance to speak with the girl or her family afterward, they were relieved to know that she was safe. “They could have had a drastically different outcome,” Chris said.
Ride Shut Down and Safety Review
After the incident, Worlds of Fun immediately shut down the Mamba roller coaster for a thorough inspection.
A park spokesperson explained to KCTV5 that “the ride has undergone a comprehensive safety review,” and modifications were implemented as recommended by the Fire Marshall to ensure the ride meets or exceeds all applicable safety standards. The ride was reopened that evening.
The Mamba, the tallest roller coaster at the park, had previously undergone a safety inspection in April and was subject to a “spot inspection” on October 30. After some repairs, it was reinspected and cleared to operate again.
The couple has voiced their concerns about returning to the park in the near future. “We probably won’t go back for a while,” Cassie admitted, per PEOPLE. “We need to see a change, and once we see that change I will be comfortable taking my four children [there] - who I am not comfortable taking currently.”
While the incident has understandably shaken the Evinses, they are relieved that the young girl is safe. Worlds of Fun has assured the public that their top priority is the safety of guests, and they are committed to ensuring the ride meets the highest standards moving forward.