Linky

A MAN has been left paralysed after he broke his neck riding a roller-coaster with his great nephew.

Robert Sycamore, 58, was riding the 80kph Grand National roller-coaster at Blackpool Pleasure Beach in Lancashire, England, when the freak accident occurred, the Mirror reports.

He is understood to suffer from spondylitis, or inflammation of the vertebrae in the back, but it is unclear if this condition contributed to his injury.

A Pleasure Beach spokesman insisted the 70-year-old wooden roller-coaster is safe and that no faults were found with the ride.

Sad to hear. Hopefully we'll hear the full results of an investigation. This really goes to show those warnings at the front of rides aren't just for the hell of it.

"Persons with back or neck complaints, who have had recent surgery or illness, and expectant mothers SHOULD NOT RIDE"

This is a typical warning posted on many rides i've seen round the world. I assume blackpool would be no different. Whether or not his condition contributed (I'm assuming it did given the thousands of others who successfully rode without complaint), he shouldn't have been on it due to the condition.

The article also mentioned he was 'black and blue' which sounds less like a simple jarring, and more like he copped a few blows - the kind you'd receive if you perhaps stood up and copped a headchopper?