CLEVELAND — It was another rough day for Cedar Point’s ride called Siren’s Curse, as parkgoers said it got stuck again on Tuesday. An Indiana family told us they were terrified when the ride malfunctioned on them on Saturday.
News 5 has been reporting on the multiple issues with Siren’s Curse getting stuck and forcing people to evacuate from the tall ride. And we are following through with more information about passengers’ experiences.
RELATED: It's happened again. Cedar Point's Siren's Curse experiences 'delay'
FROM FUN TO FEAR
The sounds of fun turned into sounds of fear for Jules Haines from Greenwood, Indiana.
“These are the only things that I have, my kids,” said Haines with tears in her eyes, as her children sat nearby.
She said it all happened around 6 p.m. on Saturday. She was on the ground. Her children were stuck on the ride high above her.
“There was myself and another mother that was down there that was crying as well. Her husband and her two kids were on this ride,” said Haines. “And we’re trying to figure out where they’re at, what’s going on, what’s the plan, what are we doing?”
Her son Conner Kwoczka was panicked on the ride.
“My twin brother kept trying to talk to me, and I told him to shut up and just don’t talk to me because I don’t think I’m going to be able to get out of here,” said Kwoczka.
Haines’ other son, Hunter Hoffa, jumped in to help.
“So, he physically lifted Conner out of the seat, like completely terrified,” Haines told us.
All of it was happening as the weather was threatening.
“And I was like, 'Oh, there’s a storm coming?'” said Hoffa’s girlfriend, Amanda Perez. “And I look in the distance, and right in that moment, like lightning strikes.”
MOM: NO WORKER ON GROUND WITH INFO
Haines said there was no park employee on the ground informing family members about what was going on with the evacuation and to calm their concerns.
“How do you leave people in the dark to not know? The not-knowing is one of the worst feelings of helplessness,” said Haines.
Cedar Point would not go on camera and answer questions, but it sent a statement, saying in part, “Over the last few weeks, the coaster has experienced minor technical delays (similar to a check engine light)…”
But for Haines, her check engine light doesn’t usually come on while her kids are so high in the air.
“I just really don’t want another mom to have to go through what I went through,” said Haines.
IN GENERAL, OH DEPT. OF AG INSPECTS RIDES
The Ohio Department of Agriculture (ODA) is in charge of inspecting rides in the state, but said, in general, ride breakdowns are not required to be reported right away.
“[Ride businesses] are required to keep records of repairs that they make,” said David Miran, who is the Deputy Director of Regulatory Programs at ODA. “But those are not reported to ODA, but we do review those when we are on site.”
Haines is asking Cedar Point to change its procedures and have someone who can answer families’ questions during a breakdown.
Cedar Point said if family members have concerns during an evacuation, “…they’re always welcome to approach…ride hosts or guest services…”
That is something Haines said she did that day, but got no answers.
“And then seeing other parents, too, I felt bad for them because we’re all like in the same boat,” said Haines.
She told us that after their ordeal, the park offered them a free meal and another ticket to skip the line and go back on Siren’s Curse.
Here is Cedar Point’s Full Statement to News 5:
“Over the last few weeks, the coaster has experienced minor technical delays (similar to a check engine light) that paused its operation. Its safety system performed as designed, keeping all guests safe. Following a complete systems check, guests either continued their ride then exited in the station, or were safely escorted off the ride if additional review was needed.
Guest satisfaction is extremely important to us and we will continue to work closely with the ride’s manufacturer to deliver an experience without interruption.
Regarding the guest below: Taking care of our guests is a top priority. During ride stoppages, the team’s immediate focus is on safely escorting guests from our rides when they cannot be restarted. If a non-riding family member or friend does have questions or concerns while this is happening, they’re always welcome to approach our ride hosts or Guest Services team for assistance.
We do not have record of this guest addressing concerns with our team, but we’re more than happy to discuss her experience with her directly. Please feel free to provide her with following contact information: Shaun Hill, Rides Manager (shaun.hill@cedarpoint.com) or 419-627-2305.”
