Six Flags Amusement Park Ride Severs Girl's Feet

A 13-year-old girl lost both of her feet while riding on a ride at the Six Flags' Kentucky Kingdom in Louisville. The incident occurred at 4:45 p.m. on Thursday. Both of the little girl's feet had been detached at the ankle.

The girl was riding the Superman Tower of Power. The ride drops riders 154 feet at 54 miles per hour. Officials speaking for the park say that a malfunctioning ride was responsible for the tragedy.

Eyewitness told local station WLKY that they saw a cable detach from the top of the ride. The cable snapped as the ride was lowered and the people hit the ground. The cable apparently hit the rider, cutting off both of her feet.

The girl appeared to be in shock and perfectly calm according to WLKY. Eyewitness saw no blood. An EMT transported the girl immediately to University Hospital. There is no word yet on her condition, yet reports indicate that she was in surgery at 8 p.m.

According to other riders, the girl was not the only one that was hit with the cable. However, none of the other riders received any serious injuries.

"At first I thought people were screaming because they were scared," Chris Stinnett, an eyewitness said to local station WAVE. "It came back down and I seen the cable come back and hit a lot of people and I heard a lot of crying."

When asked whether or not the eyewitnesses would return to the park, opinions were mixed. Some say even though they hold season passes they will not be returning, according to WLKY. Others are taking a more pragmatic view, stating that such accidents are rare, and will not affect their summer plans.

The ride was introduced in 1995. It was originally called the Hellavator and it is believed that this is the first injury a rider has sustained on it. The free fall tower is a fixture in many amusement parks, including those in the Six Flags chain of amusement parks.