2023-08-17 14:47:50
Feelings, smiles, cries, waiting too… This is what days in amusement parks look like, often awaited by both children and adults. Everyone flocks there every year in France, a very rich territory in this area with nearly 300 accessible places. 2022 was even a record year for several of them, such as Asterix (2 million visitors), Disneyland Paris (16 million) or… Europa-Park (6 million).
The German reference, located about fifty kilometers from Strasbourg, has also just made people talk about it for reasons other than its attractions. In June, a fire caused the evacuation of 25,000 people and last Monday, a pool of water gave way. Seven people were injured, including five performers who were performing dives.
“The two visitors concerned suffered only minor scratches. Four artists were hospitalized. Two of them were able to leave the hospital on Monday evening. Two are currently still in hospital for further observation,” it said on Wednesday. the park located in Rust, which canceled the show for the remainder of the season. But the neighboring attraction “Atlantica SuperSplash” resumed the next day. With a large crowd? “We regret the incidents. We are not currently seeing any impact on the company’s reputation,” Europa-Park continues.
According to the appeal launched on our site, the readers of 20 Minutes are no more worried today than yesterday about going to an amusement park. And this despite the other accidents of the summer: the death of a young man of 17 in a carousel at Luna Park at the beginning of August and of a father in an inflatable structure which had flown away at the end of July.
“Extreme rarity” of accidents
“Zero risk does not exist,” says Gregkawa, using an expression used by several contributors. “It’s unfortunate that there were a few incidents, but everyone is independent of each other. In addition, the large parks have rescue teams on site, prepared, trained, and who intervene quickly, faster than external rescue services”, supports Sébastien, “extremely confident in the safety standards applied”.
It is not Enzo, who presents himself as “attraction operator in a French park”, who will say the opposite. “I can confirm that the security implemented is particularly present. The accidents that have taken place in recent months are above all the result of a succession of bad luck more than a real chronic lack of safety, ”he writes. “I know that the attractions are checked every morning before the arrival of visitors,” confirms Quentin, speaking of an “extreme rarity” of accidents in these places.
An argument that reassures Emilie. “In proportion to the year of opening and the quantity of accidents, the data is minimal”, she judges, in the same way as Benjamin. “It should be noted that the media coverage of accidents has been much more pronounced in recent years, giving the impression of a greater number of accidents. However, like airplanes, it remains rare. The two are therefore not at all worried about the idea of going back up in a rollercoaster.
“I will go even less”
However, this is not the case for some readers. “I hardly went there and that completely dissuades me,” says Marikat. “We are going to avoid going there”, adds Stéphanie, joined by Julie: “I was already very afraid of thrill rides, I never did. But now, for sure, I will go even less. My daughter is 7 years old, I will not take her, and if there are bouncy castles elsewhere, I will check that it is not windy. »
Even if the controls were to be further tightened in view of the latest events? “This will force the other parks to increase security”, thinks Simon, without being “afraid to (go) there”. Better, Rémi will hurry there with “total confidence in the management of these attractions”. “The fact of hearing about an accident does not put a brake on my desire at all. No opposite, it’s just the right time to go. On the one hand, there will always be a small drop in attendance due to the accident. And on the other hand, security is often at maximum right after for a certain time. »
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