Across the country during the summer months, amusement parks promote themselves as being places to have fun and excitement for the whole family. For one family visiting a Branson attraction, however, their day of fun turned into a nightmare.
KSIS 1050 AM in Sedalia recently reported that a 12-year-old boy was injured in an accident at the Branson Coaster attraction in Branson, Missouri.
Officials in Branson say that the accident happened at the park located 2100 block of West 76 Country Boulevard at approximately 7:30 p.m. on Sunday, June 20, 2021.
Emergency crews were dispatched to the park, where they found the boy trapped underneath the roller coaster. Paramedics immediately began rescue efforts on the 12-year-old, who is said to have suffered serious injuries.
Rescuers worked for more than an hour and 15 minutes in order to free the child from the scene. One fire official at the scene described the rescue as being one that was “a very difficult and technical rescue.”
After the boy was extricated from beneath the amusement ride, he was then transported by helicopter operated by Mercy Lifeline. He was taken to Mercy Hospital in Springfield, Missouri.
The child’s grandmother told reporters that her grandson is now completely blind in one eye and 15 percent blind in the other. The child’s legs and an arm were also crushed during the incident.
So far, officials have not said what led up to the incident. The Missouri State Fire Marshal’s Office is currently investigating the accident.
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