What Happened When This Arizona Roller Coaster Malfunctioned?

There's nothing more thrilling than amusement parks. They each have a distinctive vibe, characters roaming around in costumes, and rides you can't experience anywhere else.

Roller Coasters are usually the main attraction. A thrilling few minutes where you can feel like you're defying the laws of gravity themselves.

You'd be lying if you said you never worried something would go wrong.

Arizona Roller Coaster Disaster

In late November, an Arizona man took his family to Castles 'n' Coasters, an amusement park in Phoenix, for his niece's birthday. He had just boarded the "Desert Storm", a coaster that boasts exhilarating speeds and a double loop.

All seemed find until the climb started, and he heard something horrifying: a click. He thought it may have just been one of the clicks from the chain leading the car, but that wasn't the case. It was his safety belt, you know, the bar across your lap to ensure you can't fall out? That came undone.

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A Miraculous Save

Let me remind you, this happened AS THE CAR WAS MOVING. It was about to crest the top of its first hill when the man recognized the danger he was in. He had maybe two seconds before disaster struck, and he acted accordingly. He jumped from the car over to the catwalk next to the ride, and was able to walk himself to safety.

He says it was the most terrifying moment of his life, and he believes parks like this need far more regulations to avoid a disaster like this playing out again.

[NBC12][NBC12 via YouTube]