New disturbing revelations have emerged surrounding the tragic death of a 19-year-old at an amusement park in Pefkochori, Halkidiki, through a media report that claims an engineer signed off on the deadly ride’s safety certification just hours before the accident, without actually putting the faulty ride into operation.
The news report, if substantiated, can be added to the growing list of missed opportunities to close the park and spare the young man’s life.
On August 19, a park-goer named Giannis was thrown from the seat of a fast-moving ride called ‘crazy dance’, sending him to the ground and to his death in front of his family. He was declared dead in the early morning of August 20.
According to reports, the amusement park had been operating without a proper license since the start of the 2024 summer season and although the municipality was aware of this fact and the park’s operation for a month and a half, no one went to close the park.
One More Missed Opportunity
All staff of the park were asked to come to the park on August 19, the day of the tragedy, to be present for a supposed inspection of the park and its rides, according to reports at OPEN TV.
An engineer visited the park, signed off on the rides, and gave the green light without actually inspecting the equipment in operation, said OPEN TV.
Further investigation by the media outlet revealed that workers had previously lodged complaints about the park’s rides and machinery.
OPEN TV appears to interview a staff member, who did not want to be identified and said that the park’s management either ignored these complaints or attempted to cover up issues by repainting worn equipment to make it appear new.
In the case of ‘crazy dance’ the ride operator simply asked park-goers to switch their seat to one that was in a better condition. According to the family of the deceased, Giannis had switched his seat just before the start of his ride.
Compounding the situation, it was discovered that the local police had alerted the Kassandra municipality on July 9 about the park’s operation without a permit.
This notice was based on an inspection revealing that the park had not officially registered its activities.
Media reports state that, at this point, it was within the power of the local authorities to close the park.
Crazy Dance’s ‘Dangerous’ Operator
Meanwhile, a report by MEGA TV also notes that the 21-year-old ride operator of ‘crazy dance’, who fled after the incident and later turned himself in, has a troubling criminal record, including charges of domestic violence and multiple car thefts.
Colleagues and ride-goers had lodged ‘frequent’ complaints that he operated the ride in a dangerous fashion and had no value for human life. Giannis’ brother had told media that right before the commencement of the ride, the operator told the boys that he ‘would make it go really fast’.
Staff also told MEGA that they were hired and put to work with little to no training on how to operate and maintain the rides.
In response to the incident, forensic experts have begun testing the ride, simulating passenger weight to analyze its performance and gather evidence.
