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Man dies following ride at Kings Island

Park voluntarily shuts down Firehawk roller coaster, but says there is no reason to believe the ride contributed to the death.

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Staff Report Updated 1:31 AM Sunday, August 9, 2009

MASON — A man with breathing problems after riding the Firehawk roller coaster at Kings Island died later that evening at a Cincinnati hospital on Saturday, Aug. 8.

Ride operators noticed an adult male passenger having problems breathing at 3:30 p.m. after the roller coaster train arrived at the station, according to a news release from park spokesman Don Helbig.

Helbig said the park’s EMS staff was called and responded immediately. The guest was transported by the Mason Fire Department to Bethesda North Hospital.

“We’ve learned that unfortunately, the guest passed away this evening. Our thoughts and prayers are with the family at this difficult time and all of us at Kings Island are deeply saddened,” Helbig said. “We have no reason to believe the guest’s ride on Firehawk caused his unfortunate passing. The ride was operating normally.”

Helbig said the park voluntarily closed the ride and notified the state of Ohio, which will be performing a reinspection of the ride this morning.

He said there have been no incidents on the “flying coaster” type ride since it opened in 2007.

According to the park’s Web site, the “Firehawk soars through more than 1/4-mile of steel tracking.”

The ride travels at 51 mph along the 3,340 feet of track and has five inversions. The ride, located in the Coney Mall section of the park, accommodate up to 400 guests per hour.

Kings Island’s Son of Beast roller coaster remains shut down after the park voluntarily closed the ride June 16 after a 39-year-old Mason woman reported suffering a broken blood vessel in the head after riding the wooden roller coaster. However, the Ohio Department of Agriculture, which inspects amusement park rides, announced late last month that its six-week investigation found no irregularities.

Park officials have not said when Son of Beast would reopen.

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