Authorities on the Greek island of Rhodes have temporarily shut down a local amusement park after five teenagers were hurled from a spinning ride on Friday night. The incident, captured on video, shows four young people being thrown from the attraction known locally as the “disk,” with a fifth, a 16-year-old resident of Rhodes, flung moments later in the opposite direction.
The teenager, who suffered minor injuries, described the terrifying experience. “As the ride went very fast, I saw people being thrown back, falling, breaking the seat and being thrown out,” he said. “Soon after, I was launched into the air, hit a wall, then landed on metal bars before crawling out. It could have been much worse—I was lucky.”
The municipality of Rhodes has suspended the amusement park’s operation until updated technical inspections and safety certifications are submitted.
While the teenager and his family insist that he and others were seated properly when the accident occurred, the park’s management rejects claims of equipment failure. “There was no technical fault. A mechanical engineer inspected the ride—no machine broke, no seat detached,” the park’s owner told local media.
According to the park’s lawyer, the accident was the result of unsafe behavior: “The riders should have remained seated, holding the safety bars. Instead, some stood up during the ride, which is strictly prohibited.”
The injured teenager, however, disputed this account, saying all five were seated when the accident happened, a claim his father echoed after reviewing the footage.
