Roller coaster at Circus Circus in Las Vegas reopens after accident
A Circus Circus Adventuredome rollercoaster that was shut down in March after a double amputee fell from the ride has reopened following an “extensive” monthslong ride inspection and renewed employee training.
El Loco, which was built in 2013 by manufacturer S&S Worldwide, reopened Friday, just over four months after a woman was ejected from the rollercoaster on March 25. Clark County officials have declined to say whether the woman was missing her legs or her arms, but have said that she had lost her limbs before the fall.
In a statement, MGM Resorts International, which owns Circus Circus, said: “We are incredibly saddened that one of our guests was injured, and we made examining that incident and working closely with county officials and other experts a priority. The ride’s re-opening follows an extensive inspection and re-certification process. As always, the safety of our guests is among our top concerns.”
The woman, who is in her mid-20s to early 30s, was ejected from her seat on El Loco, which goes up to 44 mph, sometime between 2:29 p.m. and 2:35 p.m., according to a prohibited-use notice placed on the ride after her fall.
She was taken to a hospital that afternoon, but neither Clark County nor MGM Resorts International has released details regarding the woman’s condition.
According to MGM Resorts spokesman Brian Ahern, all Adventuredome ride operators were put through “an extensive retraining and recertification process” following the incident.
In addition, revised ride safety disclaimers have been posted in several areas “for increased public view” based on the ride’s updated operation manual. Resort officials on Monday did not further elaborate on the updates.
Rides within Clark County are typically inspected annually by an approved third-party company; that’s in addition to any unannounced inspections that may be conducted throughout the year by the Clark County Department of Building Fire Prevention.
But since the woman’s fall, MGM Resorts also has expanded its inspection schedule; they’re now done daily, according to Ahern.
Contact Rio Lacanlale at rlacanlale@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0381. Follow @riolacanlale on Twitter.
