(CNN) -- A girl's feet were cut off Thursday when a free-fall thrill ride malfunctioned at the Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom Amusement Park in Louisville, Kentucky, police said.

A cord wrapped around the 16-year-old's feet and severed them at her ankles while she was on the "Superman Tower of Power," a police dispatcher said. The girl was taken to a local hospital.

"That could have been all of us -- riding that ride," Whitney Sandfer, who witnessed the accident, told CNN affiliate WDRB/WMYO.

The incident took place shortly before 5 p.m. ET, according to Six Flags spokeswoman Wendy Goldberg. The park remained open, but the ride in question was shut down and will remain so until the full investigation is complete, Goldberg said.

During the ride, passengers are lifted to 177 feet, suspended momentarily and then dropped, according to the park's Web site.

Passengers drop 154 feet at 54 mph, stopping "just 20 terrifying feet above the pavement," it adds

"I seen the car go up. Then, like, the cable broke, I heard -- pwchh -- and I heard a lot of people screaming," Chris Stinnett, who was at a ride next to the Superman Tower of Power, told WDRB/WMYO.

"The cable went under the car -- and I seen it pull up and hit a lot of people -- and I seen them bring their legs up," Stinnett said.

The ride was introduced in 1995.

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email is moserlara@yahoo.com

omg! How terrible!!

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SPJRNTGADL!

That girl should get about 20 million dollars for that.What a horrifying thing to happen.

I am such a worrywart. All these crazy scenarios go through my head at 6 Flags. I am glad we don't have seasons passes this year. That poor child- her life is so changed by that one mishap.

This is really scary that this is happening!!! I can't even imagine what the family is going through!! My prayers are with them!

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Carolyn
At the Jersey Shore

What a horrible story! I'm with mailady, I too think of various (hopefully never to happen) scenarios when we are at amusement parks. Now I have something new to think about.

That poor family and poor girl. Oh my gosh..
Suzanne

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Fate is like a strange, unpopular restaurant, filled with odd waiters who bring you things you never asked for and don't always like. - Lemony Snicket

At least 20 mil! While money won't replace her feet, she deserves a HUGE sum to help her have the best prosthesis (sp?), education, medcial care, etc. for the rest of her life.

There was also a mishap at Disney last month or so...group of people hurt on a water rapids ride. I am not liking theme parks lately !

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Live, Love, Laugh

Wow, I missed hearing about that. Got any more info on that? Was it all over the news or did Disney try to keep it hush hush?

Suzanne

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Fate is like a strange, unpopular restaurant, filled with odd waiters who bring you things you never asked for and don't always like. - Lemony Snicket

Great We're going to the Atlanta one on vacation in two weeks and my daughter loves those rides. Maybe this will make her not want to ride them so I can keep my cookies! I can't even imagine that happening; pretty scary!!!

I also worry constantly about those rides when we go anywhere this ride this happened on they just showed on tv isnt this the one peoples legs hang down I can see how this could happen how scary I agree she should get a huge settlement but that wont bring her feet back or change the fact that she is changed forever very very sad.

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mom of 3 greats girls

She should get an enormous settlement....and the only good thing about that is she should be able to get the best medical care out there.....I can't imagine going out for a good time and having something like this happen......I used to love amusement parks, but anymore I can't bring myself to go or let the kids go....I always have these stories in the back of head.....but I guess it's still just as safe as having your kids in the car while your driving...

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"You can never really pay back. You can only pay forward."

Wayne Woodrow “Woody” Hayes

O-H-I-O

I admit that I had two motives for posting this story.

#1 Because this story broke my heart. Her life has been completely turned upside down and the consequences will be life long.

#2 Because I didn't see any publicity about this story and I feel that something like this should be more publicized ESPECIALLY during this time of year when so many families are going on vacations and get aways.

So, my thoughts are first with this child and her family. I really hope that she recovers as best as possible and leads a great life, as she dearly deserves it. I hope and pray for her family as well, as their lives are changed now too. Secondly, I hope that everyone takes special care of their families while on vacation and remember the potential risks involved. I mean I know that amusement parks and the like are designed to create fun and adventure for everyone, but accidents can happen.

I think there are alot more bad accidents that occur that are not made as public as they should be and I can't help but feel that is done to protect the business at hand rather than acknowledge the potential dangers......anyway....Just wanted to do my part, especially knowing that many families here are preparing for vacations.

Anyway, God Bless this child and her family.

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email is moserlara@yahoo.com

such a horrible thing. We are in KY closer to Kings Island they shut down drop zone here until they do a complete check on it. I know the age of this girl varies greatly, but now they are reporting she is only 13. Not that makes a difference, my heart goes out to her. I haven't heard how she is yet. Was waiting for the local news to say something but I must of missed it.

was it a clean break so they can reattach them?

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"Is God willing to prevent evil, but not able? Then he is not omnipotent. Is he able, but not willing? Then he is malevolent. Is he both able and willing? Then whence cometh evil? Is he neither able nor willing? Then why call him God? " ~Epicurus

from all the reports I have read, the feet were detached just above the ankles, on both legs...........WHILE THE RIDE WAS WAY UP IN THE AIR!!

Then when the ride came down, the cable was whipping all over the place and instead of stopping gently 20 feet above the ground, it smashed into the ground!!!

I would imagine this cable is much like the cables used aboard Navy ships... if it breaks from the tension, and it hits you, it WILL slice you in half---cleanly...just like a knife through butter.

They have closed all the "similar" rides throughout several states including other six flags parks and Cedar Fair Parks (which owns Cedar Point, Kings Island, and Kings Dominion).


On the flip side...I still have faith in permanent amusement parks...I do NOT have any faith whatsoever in carnival rides--simply because of human tendency to error...think about it... which is safer?? rides put up and taken down 3 million times a year or ones that are permanently up. I say the latter.

Now, that said, at Cedar Point a few years ago, I went on the Mean Streak, (it's a huge wooden coaster) and I have been on it before many times...this time I got off, got a migraine headache and lost all my vision--I had to go by ambulance to Sandusky hospital!

I won't go on huge rides anymore, so Cedar Point for thrill rides is out for me...I will be with the old people and kiddies. LOL

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SPJRNTGADL!

This is a good point. I personally will trust a ride that is PERMANENT and has inspectors, but these fly-by-night carnivals scare me. These rides go up overnight by who? Engineers or inspectors? Doubtful. This weekend we have a big carnival at my daughters school, with many big rides. The kids are so excited to go, but dh and I have concerns about the safety of those rides.

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I don't suffer from insanity, I enjoy every minute of it!

My kids all know my rules are NO carnivals ever! I watched a show once on the carnival rides and they have inspections set up on a regular basis. Theme parks are usually over zealous on safety inspections. I believe this was an unfortunate accident. Our six flags (Chicago) has shut down our Giant Drop, which is a similar ride.

What a horrible tragedy for this young girl. I can't imagine it.

I heard on our news last night that the similiar rides at Busch Gardens,. Kings Dominion (both in VA) and Carowinds (in NC) have all been closed.

I saw on the news the other night about a roller coaster ride (I've forgotten where) that turns people unside down, etc. and legs hanging free, the electricity went out and the ride stopped while the people were unside down! The news showed them hanging there upside down! They were like that for 35 minutes until firemen could get the people down.