Man falls from sky diving ride and dies at Tokyo amusement park(Kyodo) A wheelchair-bound person died Monday in an accidental fall from a ride simulating a sky dive at an indoor amusement park in Tokyo's Daiba waterfront area, police said.
Junichi Tsubouchi, from the town of Uchinada in Ishikawa Prefecture, fell about 5 meters from a ride called "VIVA! SKYDIVING" at the JOYPOLIS amusement park at around 1 p.m., the police said. The facility is operated by Sega Corp.
Tsubouchi had been on a visit to Tokyo since Sunday along with two care workers.
The police said they are questioning staff of the attraction on suspicion of professional negligence resulting in death because they were aware that Tsubouchi was taking the ride without wearing a safety belt.
He could not tighten the safety belt because he was too big, the staff were quoted as saying.
Sega President Hisao Oguchi expressed regret over the accident and said the company will cooperate in police investigations.
The six-seater ride offers a sky-dive-like experience, plunging about 12 meters to just above ground level towards a projected image of the sky while wind gushes in from below.
Visitors taking the ride are supposed to be strapped in around the waist with a safety belt while a bar above protects them from falling out.
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