Adventureland won't reopen Raging River following 2021 fatal accident

Adventureland's Raging River ride will not resume operations.

General Manager Bill Lentz announced in a letter on the theme park's website Friday that after completing a safety review the company decided not to reopen the simulated river rapids ride.

The Raging River has been closed since July 3, 2021 when 11-year-old Michael Jaramillo died following an accident on the ride. His family was in a raft that overturned and trapped members underneath. His 15-year-old brother, David, spent a month in the hospital following the accident, including his 16th birthday. Their father suffered a crushed shoulder.

Lentz became general manager of the Altoona-based park in 2022 after the resort's long-time owners sold it to Palace Entertainment. His letter addressed changes the company has made since taking over, including new rides, the launch of Phantom Fall Fest and changes to operations "with an emphasis on safety as the most important element."

From January 2023:20-year-old worker dies at Adventureland Resort in Altoona

The decision not to reopen the Raging River was made after consulting with the manufacturer and reviewing what changes would be necessary to meet operating standards, Lentz wrote. The park decided to close the ride and focus on enhancements elsewhere. It did not say if the ride would be torn down or what might replace it.

Adventureland plans to debut a new water ride in 2023. Two Viking-themed rides will open in 2023 ― the Flying Viking, a junior coaster, and Draken Falls, a new log ride that represents a kind of attraction that has been in high demand since Adventureland's original log ride closed after the 2015 season, and the Monster roller coaster replaced it.

In depth:Rides like Adventureland's Raging River are connected to serious, sometimes fatal, accidents

Questions about Adventureland park safety raised after accident

Jaramillo's death was not the first fatality on the ride. Steve Booher, a 68-year-old worker, died in 2016 when he fell on the ride's conveyor belt, fracturing his skull and suffering a major brain injury. It was his sixth day on the job. Adventureland was later fined $4,500 by Iowa's Occupational Safety and Health Administration for creating an unsafe work environment.

The park was cited by state officials in November 2021 for 17 safety violations related to Jaramillo's death. They included using Flex Seal, a product marketed primarily through TV infomercials, rather than approved patches, to fix leaks in rafts' flotation bladders, which keep the ride afloat, and not adequately documenting or testing repairs.

More:Officials faced confusion, a chained gate during Adventureland fatal accident response, records and recordings show

A lawsuit remains pending against Adventureland's former owners. The Jaramillo family alleges poor maintenance, lack of training and Adventureland managers' decision to operate the ride in the face of "serious problems" led to the accident. The former owners have repeatedly said the ride was safe.

In a November court filing, the former owners asked a Polk County district court judge for permission to name Crygenic Plastics Inc. — the company that sold the park inflation bladders for its Raging River ride — as an additional defendant. The filing claims the plastics company failed to maintain flotation bladders and failed to warn Adventureland officials of the risks.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Adventureland's Raging River permanently closed after 2021 fatal accident