The log ride at the Castle Park amusement park in Riverside remained shut down Sunday while a malfunction that critically injured a woman and left her husband and child with less severe injuries was being investigated.
The accident was reported about 4 p.m. Saturday at Castle Park, at 3500 Polk St., Riverside Fire Department Capt. Brian Guzzetta said.
The failure of a pump that normally provides an ample flow of water to slow the ride as it descends caused the car the family was in to gain too much speed and hit the bottom unusually hard, throwing the three out of the car, Guzzetta said.
They quickly were removed from the shallow water, but the woman suffered injuries that left her in critical condition, Riverside Fire Battalion Chief Bruce Vanderhorst said.
The man suffered moderate injuries and the child had minor injuries.
All three were taken by paramedics to a trauma center for treatment, Vanderhorst said.
The log ride was shut down indefinitely while Castle Park and the California Department of Occupational and Safety and Health conduct an investigation of the incident, Michele Wischmeyer, vice president of marketing for Castle Park’s parent company, Palace Entertainment, said in a statement.
“First and foremost, our thoughts and prayers are with the guests involved. Safety is our number one priority and we have begun conducting a full investigation. The cause of the incident is under investigation and has not yet been determined,” Wischmeyer said.
The park itself remained open Sunday.