A child has died and several others were left injured after a raft overturned on a water ride at Adventureland Park in Altoona, Iowa over the Fourth of July holiday weekend. The Altoona Police Department announced Monday that 11-year-old Michael Jaramillo died Sunday from his injuries and one other child remains in critical condition following the incident. Two others suffered only minor injuries.
According to Adventureland Park, a total of six people had been aboard a raft on the Raging Rift theme park ride Saturday evening when it overturned around 7:35 p.m. In a statement, the theme park said Altoona Fire and Police responded to the scene immediately, and a total of four people were transported to a local hospital. Of those guests, three suffered critical injuries while a third suffered minor, the statement said. It was confirmed Monday that the 11-year-old child had passed away. In a Facebook post, the theme park said they were “saddened to learn of the passing of one Guest involved in the Raging River accident” and asked, “for your thoughts and prayers for the Guest and their family, as well as for our team members who were on site.”
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At this time, the cause of the accident is unknown, and police department spokeswoman Alyssa Wilson said detectives were working with Adventureland and state inspectors “to understand this tragic accident,” according to the Des Moines Register. Adventuralnd added that it is “working closely with both the State and local authorities” amid the ongoing investigation. Adventureland Park said the ride had been inspected the day before and “was found to be in good working order” at the time of the accident.
The Raging River has been an Adventureland Park staple since 1983 and is advertised as a “great way to cool off with the whole family.” The ride uses a conveyor belt to move rafts through faux river rapids. The ride, however, has been the site of the tragedy. In June 2016, 68-year0old Adventureland Park employee Steve Booher died while working on the ride. Booher was helping riders get out of the rafts when the ride began to move unexpectedly. Booher fell onto the conveyor, suffering trauma to the skull and brain. He later died at the hospital, and Iowa the Occupational Safety and Health Administration fined Adventureland $4,500 for a safety violation.
Currently, the Raging River ride is closed as the investigation into the Saturday incident continues. An investigation into the incident is ongoing and no further information has been provided at this time.
