In the heart of Porthcawl, Wales, where the salty sea breeze mingles with the laughter of families seeking summer thrills, a day of innocent fun turned into a nightmare on August 13, 2025. The Coney Beach ride accident, involving the park’s beloved Wacky Worm rollercoaster, left 13 children and one adult with injuries, sparking widespread outrage and renewed debates over amusement park safety. This shocking incident, captured in harrowing social media videos showing derailed carts and frantic parents, has not only traumatized families but also exposed deeper systemic issues in the UK’s funfair industry. As investigations unfold and the park faces its final season before permanent closure, the Coney Beach ride accident serves as a stark reminder that behind the flashing lights and exhilarating drops, lives hang in precarious balance.
The events of that fateful Wednesday evening began like any other at Coney Beach Pleasure Park. As the sun dipped toward the horizon around 5:50 p.m., crowds gathered around the Wacky Worm—a modest, family-friendly introductory rollercoaster designed for young riders. Marketed as a gentle thrill for children, the ride features colorful carts zipping along a simple track, complete with whimsical worm-themed elements that delight toddlers and preteens alike. But what should have been a routine spin devolved into chaos when the rear cart suddenly derailed, leaving passengers suspended mid-air and others scrambling for safety.
Eyewitness accounts paint a picture of pandemonium. Rebecca Eccleston, a 22-year-old mother from nearby Llantwit Major, was pushing her one-year-old son Theo’s pram near the ride when she heard a “massive bang” that echoed like thunder over the beachfront. “It was absolute carnage,” she recounted to BBC News. In an instant, a metal railing from the derailed section plummeted toward her group, narrowly missing Theo after being deflected by a friend’s shoulder. The child was left with bruises and a lump on his head, while screams pierced the air as trapped children wailed in terror. Another witness, father John Paul Baylis, 36, described rushing to the scene after hearing “horrific” noises, only to find his eight-year-old son Ethan among the injured—traumatized and crying through the night. One particularly heartbreaking detail emerged: a young rider lost teeth after colliding with the ride’s bars during the jolt.
Emergency services descended on the scene with remarkable speed. South Wales Police cordoned off the area, advising the public to steer clear as ambulances ferried seven victims—mostly children—to Princess of Wales Hospital in Bridgend for treatment. The Welsh Ambulance Service deployed paramedics, multiple ambulances, and a hazardous area response team, confirming that all injuries were classified as minor: bruises, cuts, and emotional distress rather than life-threatening trauma. Yet, the psychological toll on these young victims cannot be understated. Parents like Eccleston spoke of their children’s nightmares, with one boy refusing to even look at playground swings in the days following.
The park’s initial response was swift but measured. Coney Beach, operated by the Evans family since its early days, issued a statement expressing shock and offering full refunds to affected guests via mailed wristbands. Crucially, they noted that the Wacky Worm was a third-party attraction, not owned or maintained by the park itself—a detail that has fueled criticism over accountability in outsourced operations. The entire facility shuttered for the next day, allowing Health and Safety Executive (HSE) inspectors to swarm the site. By Thursday, the ride had been impounded for forensic analysis at the HSE’s Buxton laboratory, where experts would dissect components like the “ski brake” housing suspected of failing and causing the undercarriage fin to snag.
As the dust settled, the Coney Beach ride accident quickly escalated from local tragedy to national conversation. Social media erupted with footage of the derailment—grainy clips showing adults hoisting terrified children from dangling carts—garnering millions of views and shares. Hashtags like #ConeyBeachDisaster trended, blending parental fury with calls for stricter regulations. “How many close calls before we act?” one viral post demanded, echoing sentiments from families who felt the park’s aging infrastructure betrayed their trust.
To understand the gravity, one must delve into Coney Beach’s storied yet troubled past. Established in 1918 as a seaside homage to New York’s iconic Coney Island—initially to entertain American troops after World War I—the park blossomed into a Bridgend County staple. Its golden era in the 1950s through 1980s featured spectacles like boxing matches, circuses, and innovative rides: the Figure Eight wooden rollercoaster (1920–1981), the Water Chute (1936–1995), and later additions like the Enterprise (1981–2010) and Cyclone (1982–1995). The Wacky Worm itself, a compact powered coaster, was a recent staple, catering to the park’s family demographic with its low height requirements and playful design.
But beneath the nostalgia lurks a shadow of incidents that have plagued the venue. As early as 1994, a fatal derailment on the Water Chute claimed the life of a nine-year-old boy when a gantry collapsed, prompting widespread scrutiny. That same year saw multiple mishaps: a Top Flip ride fracturing a girl’s ribs post-testing, and a Blizzard coaster overshooting due to operator error, injuring three. The 2000s brought more woes—a 2000 Skymaster bolt causing a skull fracture, a 2002 suspicious fire, and even the 2004 hiring of a convicted sex offender, which eroded public confidence. More recently, a 2023 Waltzer ride incident resulted in a spinal fracture for a rider, and now this 2025 Coney Beach ride accident has tipped the scales.
The park’s decline accelerated in the 1990s amid negative publicity and maintenance challenges. Sold to the Welsh Government in 2023 alongside the adjacent Monster Park, Coney Beach announced its permanent closure in July 2025, with operations ceasing on October 5 after a farewell fireworks display. Redevelopment plans by Bridgend Council aim to transform the waterfront into a modern leisure hub, but critics argue the timing underscores neglect: why pour resources into a sinking ship only to let it founder?
This Coney Beach ride accident has amplified longstanding safety concerns in the UK’s amusement sector. Amusement parks, while regulated under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and overseen by the HSE, operate in a patchwork of oversight. Mobile and traveling fairs—common for third-party rides like the Wacky Worm—face lighter scrutiny than fixed installations, with annual inspections often relying on self-reporting. A 2024 HSE report highlighted that 40% of ride incidents stem from mechanical failures, exacerbated by aging equipment and supply chain delays post-pandemic. Globally, parallels abound: the 2017 Ohio State Fair swing ride decapitation and the 2024 Coney Island Cyclone chain crack in New York, which halted operations and drew violations for maintenance lapses.
In the wake of the derailment, HSE probes revealed not one, but two problematic rides at Coney Beach. Just weeks later, in September 2025, inspectors issued a Prohibition Notice on the Mini Jet ride after discovering a “minor but unrelated” issue with its external walkway—though the park downplayed it as resolved within 10 minutes. This second infraction, while not directly tied to the Coney Beach ride accident, underscores a pattern: deferred maintenance in a facility on its last legs. Advocacy groups like the Amusement Device Manufacturers Association (ADMA) have called for mandatory real-time monitoring tech, such as sensors detecting track anomalies, but implementation lags due to costs—particularly burdensome for small operators.
Parents and locals are vocal in their demands for reform. “We trusted them with our kids’ lives,” Baylis told reporters, his voice cracking as he described Ethan’s refusal to return to any fairground. Petitions circulating online urge the Welsh Government to fast-track safety audits for all parks and impose hefty fines for third-party oversights. Politicians, including South Wales West MS Dr. Altaf Hussain, expressed heartbreak and prayers for recovery, while pledging to raise the issue in assembly debates. The incident has also spotlighted emotional aftercare: child psychologists note that such traumas can manifest as phobias lasting years, yet support services for funfair victims remain underfunded.
As October looms, Coney Beach limps toward its finale, a bittersweet coda to a century of seaside escapism. The Coney Beach ride accident, though not fatal, has irrevocably altered perceptions of these nostalgic havens. Families who once flocked for cotton candy and carousel spins now hesitate, weighing joy against jeopardy. For industry stakeholders, the message is unequivocal: innovation must outpace entropy. Enhanced training, AI-driven inspections, and unified EU-wide standards could prevent the next headline. Until then, the echoes of those August screams serve as a haunting siren—demanding we prioritize safety over spectacle.
In retrospect, this Coney Beach ride accident isn’t isolated but emblematic of a sector at a crossroads. With global attendance rebounding to pre-COVID levels—over 300 million visitors annually in Europe alone—the stakes have never been higher. As Porthcawl’s waves crash indifferently, one hopes the lessons from this Welsh tragedy ripple outward, fortifying barriers against future falls. For now, the park’s lights dim, but the call for vigilance burns brighter than ever.
FAQ: Coney Beach Ride Accident
Q: What exactly happened in the Coney Beach ride accident? A: On August 13, 2025, the Wacky Worm rollercoaster at Coney Beach Pleasure Park in Porthcawl, Wales, partially derailed. The rear cart came off the tracks, causing a metal railing to fall and injuring passengers. Social media videos showed adults helping children off the suspended ride.
Q: How many people were injured, and what was the extent of the injuries? A: Thirteen children and one adult sustained minor injuries, including bruises, cuts, and one case of lost teeth. Seven victims were hospitalized for observation and treatment, but no life-threatening conditions were reported.
Q: What is the current status of the park and the investigation? A: The park closed temporarily for HSE inspections and reopened shortly after. It is set to permanently close on October 5, 2025, for redevelopment. The HSE is analyzing the ride at its Buxton lab, focusing on a potential brake housing failure. A second ride (Mini Jet) was briefly halted over unrelated safety issues.
Q: Has Coney Beach had safety issues before? A: Yes, the park has a history of incidents, including a 1994 fatal Water Chute derailment, a 2023 Waltzer spinal injury, and several others in the 1990s and 2000s related to maintenance and operator errors.
Q: What steps are being taken to prevent future accidents? A: Calls for stricter HSE regulations, mandatory tech like track sensors, and better third-party oversight are growing. The Welsh Government is reviewing park safety amid redevelopment plans.
