Random True Story Of Action Park, New Jersey's Deadliest Theme Park (12 items)

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  (#1) So Many People Died In The Wave Pool, It Earned A Grim Nickname

  The Tidal Wave Pool quickly became a prominent attraction at Action Park. As one of the first wave pools of its kind in the US, it was a huge hit from day one. Instead of filling the wave pool with salt water to make swimmers more buoyant, Action Park used fresh water in the pool, which made it hard for even strong swimmers to navigate the over-three-foot-tall waves. Allegedly, rescuers had to save nearly 100 people on its opening day.

  Due to the intense waves and dangerous conditions, 12 lifeguards manned the pool daily, and - on busy days - they had to save an average of 20 to 30 patrons from drowning. For reference, the typical lifeguard ends up saving two or three people over the course of an entire summer at a regular pool.

  Despite the heightened lifeguard presence, three people drowned in the wave pool between 1982 and 1987, earning it the nickname "The Grave Pool." 
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  (#2) The Alpine Slide Caused Dozens Of Fractures And Head Injuries

   

  A post shared by Dr. D & Rocky (@2guysfromjersey) on Oct 8, 2017 at 8:56am PDT

   

  No ride embodies Action Park's philosophy better than the Alpine Slide. Former park-goers consider bruises and road rashes caused by wiping out on the concrete chute badges of honor. On the Alpine Slide, riders would climb aboard a tiny sled and launch themselves down a concrete track.

  There weren't any safeguards against injury when people were barreling down the Alpine Slide; in theory, riders could control their sleds using a handbrake, but those were usually broken. One employee said the sleds had two speeds: "slow" and "death awaits." From 1984 to 1985, there were 14 fractures and 26 head injuries reported, and countless more unrecorded minor scrapes.
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  (#3) A Park Employee Died On The Alpine Slide

  The first fatality at Action Park occurred in 1980, when an employee riding a sled down the Alpine Slide jumped the track, then fell down a steep embankment onto the rocks below. He suffered a serious head injury and died eight days after the incident. The ride didn't close.

  Instead, staff placed hay bales on the corners to catch riders flung from the track, which was a common occurrence.
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  (#4) The Kayak Ride Permanently Drained After Someone Got Electrocuted

  Even the boring rides at Action Park were deadly. The park's kayak ride was nothing more than a few large fans creating fake rapids on a watery track, which riders could paddle down. Patrons tended to avoid it because the kayaks would often became stuck on the track or capsize, and riders had to get out of the boats and flip them back over.

  In 1982, an electrocuted man died after he stepped too close to an exposed wire in the water. The staff drained the ride for an investigation and never filled it again.
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  (#5) The Water Beneath The Tarzan Swing Was Cold Enough To Kill

  There were several ways for the Tarzan Swing to go wrong. The ride comprised a long piece of rope which could swing people out over a giant pool, where they would let go and fall into the chilly water below. This was the ideal result, but since there was nothing holding riders beyond their own grip, plenty of patrons would slip off quickly, nearly landing on the rocks below.

  Riders able to keep ahold often landed on their belly or back after trying to impress friends with a poorly timed flip. Some park-goers remember seeing way more than they wanted when riders spent extended time in the air shouting obscenities, sometimes effectively exposing themselves to people waiting in line.

  If the risk of public indecency wasn't enough, the water beneath was cold to the point it could kill. The pool below the Tarzan Swing had natural spring water, which could measure 30 degrees colder than the water at other park attractions. Reportedly, the shock of the freezing water caused a man to have a fatal heart attack in 1984.
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  (#6) The Looping Waterslide Destroyed Test Dummies And Broke Teeth

  Park founder Gene Mulvihill allegedly designed the infamous looping Cannonball Slide as a sketch on a napkin. He had no engineering experience, yet figured he was the right guy for the job. After building the slide, Mulvihill and staff first tested the ride by sending dummies down the slide to see how they fared. Rumors claim the dummies would often emerge from the bottom of the ride decapitated or in pieces.

  Mulvihill then paid $100 cash to any employee willing to try the slide, which one former employee said they "didn't buy enough booze to drown out the memory." Test subjects frequently didn't make it all the way around the loop; they instead face-planted at the apex, chipping their teeth in the process.

  A trap door installed at the top of the loop retrieved stuck riders before the ride opened to the public. State safety regulators closed the ride about a month later.
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  (#7) Employees Jury-Rigged Go-Karts To Reach 50 MPH

  Action Park featured a few different kinds of go-karts - some were more expensive to ride because they could reach higher top speeds and drove more like race cars. Each super go-kart had a device on its motor to keep the top speed at or around 20 mph, but ride operators figured out a tennis ball wedged in a specific place allowed the karts to reach speeds closer to 50 mph.

  There's nothing safer than an open cockpit go-kart without restraints, traveling at speeds capable of killing passengers in real automobiles. After the park would close, employees often snuck into the garages to take the fastest go-karts for a spin on nearby Route 94.
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  (#8) The Town Needed To Purchase More Ambulances To Handle All The Injuries

  Action Park earned plenty of nicknames by visitors and employees alike - from "Traction Park" to "Class Action Park" - because of the implied danger and Mad Max-esque environment created at the resort. The town of Vernon, NJ, the park's location, allegedly had to purchase more ambulances to manage the multitudes of injuries at Action Park.

  During the summer, aroughly 10 people suffered injuries per day.
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  (#9) Their Insurance Company Was A Front Based In The Cayman Islands

  In 1984, Action Park CEO Gene Mulvihill pleaded guilty to setting up a fake company in the Cayman Islands, which functioned as a front to insure the park when legit companies would not. Mulvihill faced a fine of $300,000 and had to sell the park in a plea deal, which he never did.

  This wasn't the only scheme the park used to circumvent insurance policies and safety restrictions. There was an on-site infirmary to handle minor scrapes, bumps, and bruises - which, in reality, was a method to prevent patrons from going to hospitals, as these institutions require written reports of such incidents. The park also hid the number of injuries or incidents in the Tidal Wave Pool by classifying it as a swimming pool, which meant they were only legally responsible for cleaning the water and having lifeguards on duty.
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  (#10) Ride Operators Were Mostly Teens And College Students

  As if the litany of broken bones, lacerations, and decapitated dummies weren't bad enough, Action Park often employed underaged workers to supervise rides and administer basic first aid procedures without training. Employees in uniform would often join guests by going on rides for fun during their shifts.

  Occasionally, staff members would also sneak off to well-known hiding spots where they could get drunk or stoned while on the job.
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  (#11) Alcohol Was Widely Available, Even For Minors

  In keeping with Action Park's reputation as a wild place, plenty of patrons spent trips getting drunk from the numerous beer stands scattered across the park. Parents would let their kids run wild while they enjoyed some beers, and the underaged park attendants rarely checked ID, so they might have sold alcohol to patrons below the legal drinking age.

  The rules were lax regarding alcohol consumption, which isn't too shocking considering the legacy Action Park had established in regard to rider safety.
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  (#12) A Movie About Action Park Starred Johnny Knoxville

  In 2018, Johnny Knoxville, famous for performing stupid and unsafe stunts as a part of the Jackass franchise, starred in a film named Action Point, inspired by Action Park's legendary lawlessness. The plotline centers around Knoxville running his theme park packed with completely unsafe rides and plentiful opportunities for physical comedy.

  It deftly captures the nostalgic memories Action Park fans have shared.

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