Bird strike injures rollercoaster boy
Bird strikes are a well-known danger to aircraft, but few people ever consider them a hazard to theme parks.
Well that might change now, after a boy in the US was hit in the face by a pigeon while riding the world’s tallest rollercoaster.
The incident occurred as the 12-year-old Kingda Ka coaster at Six Flags Great Adventure in New Jersey. The boy, named Shane, suffered bruising to his face and neck and was taken to hospital as a precaution.
“When it hit me I was like, did somebody throw a ball or something? When I started spitting out feathers, I was like, that was a bird,” Shane told NBC.
A spokesman for Six Flags amusement park, where the ride is situated, told NBC that nothing like this had ever happened before.