Ride Restarted in Just One Minute After Person Was Thrown Out... Harrowing Operation of Wolmido Disco Pang Pang

Fell Outside the Ride While Reaching for a Shoe
Landed Head and Neck First
Repeated Accidents Involving Both Children and Adults in the Past

A man in his 30s was thrown from the "Disco Pang Pang" ride at an amusement park in Wolmido, Incheon, falling to the ground outside the equipment. Notably, it has been reported that the ride resumed operation just one to two minutes after the accident without any special safety inspection, fueling controversy over the amusement park's safety response.

According to JTBC's "Incident Commander" and other sources on September 2, the accident occurred at around 9:23 p.m. on August 23 at an amusement park in Bukseong-dong, Jemulpo-gu, Wolmido, Incheon. Police have secured on-site CCTV footage and are currently investigating the exact circumstances of the accident.

The video of the accident shows passenger A's body momentarily lifted into the air before going overboard. JTBC

The Disco Pang Pang is a ride where several passengers sit in a circle, holding onto rails or handles, and endure simultaneous spinning and bouncing. Video footage at the time of the accident shows passenger A's body momentarily lifted into the air before being thrown outside the ride. Just before the incident, one of Mr. A's shoes came off and flew away, and it is understood that while trying to grab or put it back on, he let go of one hand from the handle, causing him to lose his balance. In a police investigation, Mr. A also stated, "When one shoe came off, I released one arm to put it back on, and in that instant, my body fell backward."

Mr. A forcefully struck his waist against the railing once, then was thrown outside the ride, reportedly landing on the ground, head and neck first. A friend of an eyewitness said, "I saw the person get thrown out just as they were," adding, "He hit his waist first, then landed on his neck." Due to the sudden nature of the accident, the DJ operating the ride was reportedly startled and shouted in surprise.

The staff stopped the ride and checked on Mr. A's condition immediately after the accident. The two people accompanying Mr. A also got off the ride. The issue arose with the response after the accident. According to a witness, the Disco Pang Pang ride restarted operation only one to two minutes after the accident. Some foreign visitors who witnessed the incident received refunds and left, but other waiting guests boarded the ride again.

The witness recounted, "It felt surreal to see that the ride resumed operation as if nothing had happened when a person had just flown two to three meters and collapsed on the ground." Immediately after the incident, Mr. A was reportedly shaking, bleeding from his forehead, and repeatedly flexing and extending his legs.

Mr. A strongly hit his waist against the railing once and then fell outside the equipment, reportedly hitting the ground starting from his head and neck. JTBC

Police and 119 emergency responders arrived at the scene about 15 minutes after receiving the report. Mr. A was taken to the hospital for treatment and, fortunately, his life was not in danger. He was discharged two days after the accident following treatment. Police have launched a preliminary investigation. Based on Mr. A’s and witnesses’ statements, as well as video footage from the time of the accident, authorities are analyzing the cause and plan to investigate whether there was any negligence in duty on the part of the DJ operating the ride and the facility manager.

The local district office also confirmed the accident and conducted a joint on-site inspection with related agencies. The inspection reportedly found no defects or issues with the ride itself. However, since the accident did occur, the district office issued administrative guidance to the operator, instructing them to strengthen safety measures during ride operation and to thoroughly train employees in safety procedures. Follow-up inspections are also planned to ensure these safety measures are implemented at the site.

This accident has drawn renewed attention to previous amusement ride accidents in Wolmido. Back in June 2018, the "Sun Drop" vertical drop ride, which ascends and descends up to 42 meters, fell from a height of 7 meters to the ground while in operation at another amusement facility in Wolmido. At that time, five men and women in their 20s were taken to the hospital with injuries to their shoulders and waists. Police believe that a malfunction in an automatic sensor caused the air brake to fail. Notably, the Sun Drop ride had undergone a regular inspection by a professional agency just one day before the accident, and no particular issues were found at that time, raising questions about the effectiveness of such inspections.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.