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Son of Beast report finds no irregularities

Staff photo by Ty Greenlees Ty Greenlees/The Son of Beast wooden roller coaster, shown Friday, April 28, 2000.

Kings Island voluntarily shut down the Son of Beast June 16 after a woman reported she had burst a blood vessel in her brain as a result of riding the roller coaster on May 31.

Staff photo by Linda Weisenborn Kings Island voluntarily shut down the Son of Beast June 16 after a woman reported she had burst a blood vessel in her brain as a result of riding the roller coaster on May 31.

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The Son of Beast wooden roller coaster, shown Friday, April 28, 2000, at Kings Island in Mason. The ride is the tallest and fastest wooden roller coaster and boasts the biggest first drop.

File photo The Son of Beast wooden roller coaster, shown Friday, April 28, 2000, at Kings Island in Mason. The ride is the tallest and fastest wooden roller coaster and boasts the biggest first drop.

ENLARGE PHOTO

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By Eric Schwartzberg, Staff Writer Updated 10:48 AM Thursday, July 30, 2009

A six-week state investigation into the safety of Kings Island’s Son of Beast roller coaster found no irregularities.

Park officials voluntarily shut down Son of Beast June 16 and alerted state inspectors after getting a call from the husband of Jill Tavella of Mason, who said she “felt dizzy and had a bad headache” after riding the roller coaster on May 31 and was diagnosed with “a broken blood vessel in her head.”

It’s unclear when the ride will open again. Kings Island spokesman Don Helbig said Wednesday, July 29, it would be “inappropriate” to speculate on when it will open.

Tavella, 39, told investigators with the Ohio Department of Agriculture she initially was admitted into West Chester Medical Center. However, after a CAT scan indicated blood in her head, she was transported by ambulance to Bethesda North Hospital and placed in the intensive care unit. She said she remained there overnight and was released on June 1, according to the ODA report released Wednesday.

Tavella told investigators with the state’s Amusement Ride Safety Division she is scheduled for a follow-up medical visit in August, but declined to reveal any other personal medical information.

During its investigation, Tavella told an ODA agent the roller coaster became “bumpy and jerky.” She said she told her son that “it felt like my brain was shaking.”

Tavella said she did not report the incident until more than two weeks after it occurred because her husband was out of town and she was taking care of her three children, who had just completed their school year. She told ODA she had not thought about reporting incident until talking to her husband when he returned.

On June 24, ODA inspectors traveled to Kings Island and conducted an inspection of the coaster. Doug Kramer, the park’s manager, provided documentation of the ride’s history and maintenance, a pre-opening log for the day of the incident, proof of operating training, proof of insurance and a roster of operators.

Safety division inspectors tested the roller coaster and interviewed ride operators during their investigation.

Since Son of Beast opened in 2000, 65 incidents statewide involving injury on amusement rides were reported, according to ODA records. Injuries were reported as a result of Son of Beast six times, more than any other Ohio ride.

Of those six incidents, just one in 2006 was determined to involve a design flaw, one that caused a wooden beam to crack from the weight of the roller-coaster riders and sent 27 people to the hospital.

Prior to the ride reopening in 2007, Kings Island not only complied with ODA requirements, it also removed Son of Beast’s 118-foot loop.

Helbig said eliminating the popular feature had nothing to do with the 2006 incident, but was done to use lighter, more comfortable trains.

Two incidents occurred in 2001, one of which involved a broken neck and the other, a broke vertebra. An ODA investigation concluded both rides were a result of a pre-existing condition and the ride was functioning properly.

In 2003, someone who injured their back on the ride was admitted to the hospital for treatment. No evidence was found of malfunction.

In 2007, a man who was taken to the hospital died the next day. Again, no evidence was found of malfunction.

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