Castles N' Coasters roller coaster harness fails, customer says

PHOENIX - Terrifying moments for a roller coaster rider were caught on camera while at Phoenix's Castles N' Coasters on Sunday.

He says his safety harness failed just before a big drop on the Desert Storm ride.

The man in the video, who did not want to show his identity on camera, said his family was celebrating his niece's 12th birthday at the amusement park near I-17 and Dunlap Avenue on Nov. 24 when his safety harness disengaged.

The ride is described by the park as, "Test your courage as you challenge the excitement of vertical drops, loops, and spins!"

"We started going up, everything seems to be OK. And then when we get closer to the top, I hear a click. Different from the click of the roller coaster going up on the chain," he said. "So I check my bar, and when I pushed it, it released. It opened."

He was able to get out of his seat and onto the emergency stairs. He made his way down where he met the ride's operator.

"I told her my lap bar came up, and she yelled at me, ‘I told you to check it.' And I just walked down the stairs and kind of broke down because the adrenaline was so much," the customer said.

The customer says he gave a statement to the park, as did other witnesses. He says employees at Castles N' Coasters would not give him a copy of the report.

"They told me I couldn't have it because their policy states that a general manager has to give it to me. So, I asked, let me take a picture of it. They wouldn't give it to me at all," he said.

He wants someone held liable for the safety risks he says could get someone killed. The man says his family did receive a refund from the park, but that is far from solving the issue in their eyes.

FOX 10 reached out to the CEO of Castles N' Coasters, but is still waiting to hear back.

Arizona is one of eight states that does not have a regulatory body overseeing theme parks or amusement rides. State law requires property owners to have their rides inspected annually, and to carry insurance.

As for reports of malfunctions, only cases of severe injuries or deaths are required by law.