You do not necessarily have to be out in the open ocean to suddenly and unexpectedly become trapped underwater. Such was the case in Agawam, Massachusetts, on August 7, 1999, at the Riverside Amusement Park (since redubbed Six Flags New England).
At around 9:30 p.m., a raft on the park’s “Blizzard River” ride suddenly capsized. Eight belted-in passengers were left trapped facedown in a mere 0.8 meters (2.5 ft) of water.
That was all it took. While park employees did manage to get some of the riders out before rescuers showed up, the riders (including at least two young children and a pregnant woman) nearly drowned, and several were left hospitalized in critical condition. One rider suffered a brain injury, and another was left with “permanent physical injuries.”
In 2001, the eight riders sued the park owners and the manufacturers of the ride.
The plaintiffs argued that the defendants should have known of the risk, since a woman died in a similar incident in Texas earlier in 1999.
Also, the park employees seated the three heaviest passengers all on one side of the raft, only exacerbating the risk.
