Woman Killed on Gyrating Ride in New York's Playland Amusement Park

A young woman died at the Playland Amusement Park in Rye, N.Y., around 9:30 p.m. Friday, according to the Associated Press.

The woman, in her 20s, was riding the Mind Scrambler which is an indoor ride that gyrates and spins around in circles with in a dark tent with flashing lights. While the girls name was not released due to her parents not being notified as of yet it was the fourth death in as many years at the New York amusement park.

The AP also reported that it was not the first death on the ride as a young girl at only seven years of age died on the Mind Scrambler in 2004 after falling from the ride soon after it began. Then the amusement park itself suffered two more deaths in the next two years. In 2005 another seven year old child this time a boy, died after falling out of his boat ride from which he had climbed out. Then in 2006 a man was found dead in a lake inside the amusement park after walking into the water and eventually drowning.

If you have never heard of the Playland Amusement Park it is considered a National Historic Landmark since 1987. According to its website it is the prototype for amusement parks today beginning as far back as 1928. It is also the only "government-owned" and operated amusement park in the country. Today the park still has 7 rides that began the park back in the 1920s. If you would like further information on this Historic place please check the resources below.

Update

In the middle of writing this article, according to a updated release by the Associated Press, the woman's name is Gabriela Garin, a 21-year-old from White Plains, N.Y. Apparently the girl was the operator of the ride and was fastening the seat belts of some straggling riders when the new shift operator started the ride and before it could be shut down the young woman had already been thrown from the ride. You can read more on the update at:

The Guardian
http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,,-6748712,00.html

Drawing more than one million visitors per year with fifty rides with a pool and even a beach its an area that is only 25 miles north of Manhattan. In earlier years it was better known as Rye Beach and today is more commonly known as Rye Playland.

Other Resources

Playland Amusement Park
http://www.ryeplayland.org/

The Cincinnati Enquirer
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/A/AMUSEMENT_PARK_DEATH?SITE=OHCIN&SECTION=AMERICAS&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT