A woman died after riding a rollercoaster at the Holiday World & Splashin’ Safari theme park in Santa Claus, Indiana, according to the Evansville Courier & Press.
The woman, identified as 47-year-old Dawn R. Jankovic of Brunswick, Ohio, by Dubois County Coroner Katie Schuck, became unconscious while riding The Voyage roller coaster at Holiday World & Splashin’ Safari, the Evansville Courier & Press reported Saturday. When the roller coaster arrived back into the station with Jankovic unresponsive in her seat, emergency responders at the theme park arrived three minutes later and rendered first aid, according to a statement released Friday by Holiday World & Splashin’ Safari on Facebook.
Jankovic was taken in an ambulance to Memorial Hospital in Japser, Indiana, which lies about 20 miles north of the theme park, the theme park’s statement said.
Jankovic died later that evening, according to the Evansville Courier & Press. An autopsy on Jankovic has been performed and completed, and the results are awaiting the notification of family members. (RELATED: California Will ‘Limit’ Screaming On Rollercoasters In Order To Prevent The Spread Of Coronavirus As Theme Parks Reopen)
The Indiana Department of Homeland Security, which handles ride inspections in the state, visited the park Saturday morning and confirmed the ride is still operating as expected. https://t.co/ny1Trj1SMa
— WRTV Indianapolis (@wrtv) June 6, 2021
After the incident, The Voyage roller coaster remained closed for the rest of the day “out of respect for the family,” the theme park statement said. Holiday World & Splashin’ Safari said that an inspection of The Voyage found “the ride operated as it was intended to” while Jankovic was on board.
Holiday World & Splashin’ Safari’s statement also asked for the public’s “thoughts and prayers” for Jankovic’s family, as well as theme park staff members who were working on The Voyage at the time of the incident.