Carowinds rollercoaster crack: Amusement park closes ride after discovering crack in support beam

The huge crack caused concern for onlookers.

A US amusement park closed one of its roller coasters on Friday after a crack was found on a support beam.

According to news reports, Carowinds in North Carolina shut down Fury 325. The park’s website advertises the ride as the “tallest, fastest, longest giga coaster in North America” that crosses into both North Carolina and South Carolina.

Video of the ride showed the beam bending, the top of it visibly detached, as cars with passengers whirled by.

The huge crack was first spotted by an eagle-eyed visitor to the park.

In a post to social media, Jeremy Wagner said the ride was “still running” when they left the park.

He said on Facebook: “I hope they shut this ride down after I reported this video at guest services. It moves two to four feet.”

Other reports indicate that visitors had noticed before Wagner - and had shared their concerns on social media for a week before the ride was closed.

Some on social media commended Wagner for ‘saving lives’ by publicising the issue.

Another person questioned: “Why are they allowing people to still ride it in this video?”

“Carowinds closed Fury 325 after park personnel became aware of a crack at the top of a steel support pillar,” a spokesperson for the park said in a statement.

“The park’s maintenance team is conducting a thorough inspection and the ride will remain closed until repairs have been completed.

“Safety is our top priority and we appreciate the patience and understanding of our valued guests during this process.

“As part of our comprehensive safety protocols, all rides, including Fury 325, undergo daily inspections to ensure their proper functioning and structural integrity.”

Fury 325 first opened to the public in 2015 and cost approximately US$30 million to build, according to news reports.

Carowinds did not say how long repairing the ride would take. The rest of the park will remain open.

- Additional reporting, NZ Herald