Why is the whole of X-Sector closed?

Wed May 09, 2012 10:58 pm

Hold on, does that mean he climbed down through the misters, or were they not on that day? Can anyone confirm this? If so how would he know of the ledge below the mist...

EDIT: What Jordan said...

Wed May 09, 2012 10:59 pm

Jordan wrote:
Sam wrote: And - shock horror - as the photo shows he wasn't even in remote danger of being accidentally hit by a shuttle. The only way he could have been hit by a shuttle is if he jumped down onto the track.
I'm not sure - as this earlier tweet by the photographer of the above picture suggests, the man entered the tunnel by the pond - presumably he made it through to the hole?

Not sure that totally adds up. Here is a photo looking towards the drop:

As you can see, the only way up to that ledge from the tunnel is via those stepladders. If he'd managed to go from the tunnel exit to this ledge while the ride was running, he would have been struck by a shuttle.

DiogoJ42 · Wed May 09, 2012 11:00 pm

How the hell did he get over that fence?

I could understand the other end as it only has a fence round three sides, but that one?!?

Wed May 09, 2012 11:03 pm

I strongly suspect this was a dare now, as there have been eyewitness accounts saying that he entered the other end and emerged from the other.

Wed May 09, 2012 11:08 pm

According to this article
http://www.thisisderbyshire.co.uk/Man-2 ... um=twitter

The man was not injured and was arrested for causing a public nuisance

So look like he didn't have any health problems, it was just a dare

Website · Wed May 09, 2012 11:10 pm

Unless the ride was stopped as he entered the tunnel, presumably there's a camera there or something that might have alerted the ride op to what was happening. There are eyewitnesses saying that he went through the pond which is why he was wet but that could always be the mist. If a member of staff near enterprise saw him I'm sure they would be able to communicate with oblivion to shut down. It seems a bit over the top to be a suicide attempt when it is easier to just jump of the towers, or even climb over the air fence. personally I just think it is a guy who isn't all there and wanted some attention.

Dormiens-Dave · Wed May 09, 2012 11:12 pm

DiogoJ42 wrote:
Tom G wrote: Returning this to topic, I've been sent a picture that shows the man climbed over the fence guarding the ENTRY hole, not the exit one. He was on the ledge just behind the track.
Much as I would love to see this photo, I won't ask to see it, or that you post it, incase that is deemed "insensitive".

Only because there is a conspiracy against people who wear tin-foil hats on these forums.

As for that man... idiot!

Website · Wed May 09, 2012 11:15 pm

Imagine if this all turned out to be an extravagant PR stunt, its certainly generated some discussion among the general public and on the forums

DiogoJ42 · Wed May 09, 2012 11:17 pm

Right, so now that it looks certain that this guy was not mentally ill, and was infact, just mental, is it acceptable to insult him now?

MattH · Wed May 09, 2012 11:19 pm

Tbh, it does just look like someone who wanted attention, well, he got it, from BBC and a whole forum based on Towers, hope he is happy about that. We won't find out the intentions for it though until he makes a public statement, if he does so.

Wed May 09, 2012 11:24 pm

So was anyone there today??
was oblivion running as normal, were there any changes to fencing?

any official lookin people lingering around the drop??

Wed May 09, 2012 11:26 pm

I thought the whole 'exit hole' stuff was a bit suspect - why would the fire brigade ever have been needed to remove him from that end? Just unlock the gate and hoist him out.

Having to 'rescue' him from the entrance hole makes much more sense. I'm not convinced that he entered the other end and walked through, firstly because I think the possibility of being struck by a shuttle would be far too high, and secondly because the climb from the bottom of the tunnel to that ledge is rather large (and if he could make it up, why couldn't he make it back down and back?)

Website · Wed May 09, 2012 11:28 pm

He could be refusing to go back due to the amount of trouble he knew he was in, I assume he was carried out using a guy on a winch thus the need for fire crews

Wed May 09, 2012 11:33 pm

Jollylee11 wrote: According to this article
http://www.thisisderbyshire.co.uk/Man-2 ... um=twitter
The man was not injured and was arrested for causing a public nuisance
So look like he didn't have any health problems, it was just a dare

How in any way does that tell us whether he has mental illness issues or not?

Anyway if this was a dare, then his mate is going to have to go some way to top this. Maybe he'll have to try and slap the David Cameron's arse or something.

Wed May 09, 2012 11:36 pm

If you want to know what it's like from the person who witnessed this happen and who was the only person to actually tell the staff to stop the ride, I can give you my description.

When I was watching him climbing up the fence I thought "who's this idiot trying to get a cool photo?".
I pointed him out to my girlfriend and she watched too.
Next, as he was swinging himself over i felt an emotionless feeling "uh oh that seems like a stupid thing to do".
and then "this guy isn't trying to suicide himself is he?"
After that, as his shoe fell of and he was trying to lower himself down carefully I felt slightly worried in a general unspecific way.
Then I was looking round to see if anyone else had noticed what I was seeing and a woman nearby also seemed to have noticed.
He dropped down and I thought "oh damn I wonder how far down he fell"
And after that I was mostly thinking "I wonder how far he fell I wonder how far down he fell, I wonder if he's dead"
Then I felt very concerned and realised how dangerous it was for anyone on the ride, and at that point I started running about trying to find a member of staff to make them shut down the ride.

After that, I was curious to know if he was dead, and mostly to know how far down he'd fallen, if he'd be smashed to pieces or what.

Most of the time this was happening my imagination was going wild, thinking about all the possibillites of things that could be happening, but I was surprised how unconcerned I actually was for this guy's life.
When they came to tell me he was OK, I was mostly releived because I could continue my day happily, and because I wouldn't have to feel bad about how unconcerned I was about him. I think I was mostly worried for anyone that was on the ride that could have been injured and just picturing all the grizzly things that could've happened down there in that Oblivion Hole.

I originally posted on here because I thought it'd be an exciting and crazy thing to read about, and was pretty disappointed how sensible and sensitive all the responses have been. I thought this might be a forum of thrill seekers and adrenalie junkies, but it's all just so very polite and,,,boring!

sorry if that's a diss but if you want to know anything from the main public eyewitness of this just let me know!

DiogoJ42 · Wed May 09, 2012 11:48 pm

My thoughts exactly. I couldn't give a monkey's earlobe whether that guy survived or not, but to endanger other people is reckless and deserves punishment. I hope Towers throw the book at him and press every charge they can.

Website · Wed May 09, 2012 11:55 pm

Polite? Boring? That's just because anything that isn't gets deleted

Thu May 10, 2012 12:22 am

According to the guy who took the picture he was stood on that ledge shouting and grunting to himself...

Also, that picture really shows what a dire state Oblivion and X-Sector are in.

Thu May 10, 2012 12:31 am

nemesis_egg i thank you for posting it. Coaster fans do like thrills and adrenaline, but do it in a safe controlled way. hence being coaster fans.

as for the sensible and sensitive, just so very polite and boring. I work with the wife of a record-breaking trans-oceanic balloonist, and he is a very sensible and polite bloke, and when he starts talking about his work he can after a while become boring.

During one works do, I asked him about this sensible side and his thrill seeking side. his reply "thrill seekers that are not sensible are dead thrill seekers" And I believe a truer word has never been spoken.

Although this is a really interesting and hi adrenaline bit of news, it does not detract from this person putting sensible thrill seekers in danger.
And trust me, until people seen the carnage of traumatic injury they will not understand why I have kept away from commenting on anything than safety measures in this thread.

I am in no way trying to diss you or anyone, above is my opinion on this subject that I am willing to share in open forum.

<edited for spelling>

Dormiens-Dave · Thu May 10, 2012 2:14 am

hex4ever wrote: Polite? Boring? That's just because anything that isn't gets deleted

Do you know what i have checked the logs and only one post has ever been deleted in this thread... and i need to make an apology because i assumed it was something separate as i was at work for 12 hours today but that one post was deleted by me.

If you have an issue with this SINGLE deletion either PM me or an admin

Now if people can get over all of this terrible moderation (one post) then can we please stay.. on.. topic