14 DAY TRIAL // The accident took place on the Shoot the Rapids water ride, with a boat rolling backwards, then capsizing as it hit the first hill included in the ride itinerary.
The vessel first turned on its side before turning over completely, with the passengers strapped in and unable to free themselves.
The incident quickly grabbed the attention of park attendants and guards. Other visitors were quick to intervene, jumping in the water to help the seven people in the boat break out of the restrain.
“One of the cars ... came down off that hill, and people were still in it. [...] They were trapped.
“We jumped in and helped them get out. […] If we didn't help, I don't even know what would have happened,” witness Matthew Orr, of Euclid, told the Sandusky Register.
He describes that several children were in the boat and they were very scared.
“It took nine or 10 people to pull the car up. [...] We had the car sitting sideways,” he recalls.
The boat capsized at roughly 6:42 p.m., and the visitors on the ride were transported to Cedar Point’s First Aid Station. Six of them were checked on the spot and released with no injuries.
Another man was hospitalized at Firelands Regional Medical Center in Sandusky, but he has also been released.
“We heard a snap and then a clunk and then it was the loudest noise, like an explosion. [...] Then it slid down the hill and flipped on its side,” says Emily Capezzuto of Pennsylvania, who also witnessed the accident.
“There was blood everywhere. [...] It was so scary,” noted visitor Heather Brown, of Fostoria.
Cedar Point officials put out a statement stressing that they are investigating what caused the boat to overturn.
“The safety of our guests is our number one priority,” they said.