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Workers at Univeral Orlando Theme Park are searching for a lost leg that came loose and fell off during a roller coaster ride, according to Local 6 News.

An official at Universal said that Hawley Webb of New Port Ritchie, Fla., was on Dueling Dragons when his prosthetic leg somehow fell off.

Officials believe that the leg fell into a pond located under the coaster.

The theme park has sent dive teams into the pond but the leg has not been found.

Universal said it will replace the leg if divers cannot find it.

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Nobody offered to send in dive teams when I lost my prescription sunglasses at Busch Gardens. Of course, there's no water under that coaster, but it would have been nice if they had offered.
 

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Posted by Hobbes (Member # 433) on :
 
[EDIT: that's meant for Zan's last comment, not the story itself ]

Did they find your glasses eventually?

Hobbes

[ August 18, 2003, 10:00 AM: Message edited by: Hobbes ]
 

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Posted by zgator (Member # 3833) on :
 
They did. Theme parks do scheduled sweeps under their coasters throughout the day looking for dropped stuff and take it to Lost and Found.

I'm a little miffed. If they hadn't found my glasses, I would never expect them to reimburse me for them. I didn't have them secured on a roller coaster, which was stupid on my part. I know it's good PR on Universal's part, but it seems like it should be the rider's responsibility.
 

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Posted by Dead_Horse (Member # 3027) on :
 
Why is there a pond big enough to lose a leg in under the roller coaster? What if it had been the whole guy that fell out?

I'll bet that pond is just full of dentures, too.

It's nice of the park to offer to replace the leg (because of the unfortunate pond placement and media coverage.)

Now, will there be rules restricting people with loose parts from riding? Shouldn't the riders accept responsibility for securing their own parts?

Wouldn't a giant net be better than a pond?
 

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Posted by zgator (Member # 3833) on :
 
You have to provide retention for drainage anywhere that gets developed including theme parks. Building a pond to accept the drainage means using up land that could be used for another ride, gift shop, food, etc. There is nothing else going on under a roller coaster, so you might as well use the land for something.

Also, if people are falling out of a roller coaster, that theme park has very, very big problems ahead of them. Besides, if I did fall out, I'd rather land in a pond than on the cold, hard ground.
 

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Posted by Ryuko (Member # 5125) on :
 
He didn't fall out, though... Only his leg. (I was afraid it was his real leg when I read the first part of the article!! YIKES!)

If it were me, I'd hope they wouldn't find it... My leg would smell like skunky drainage water.. ick...
 

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Posted by Avadaru (Member # 3026) on :
 
*wonders why no one has made a Dobie of this*

Or have they, and I just missed it?

Teeheehee.
 

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