The couple’s quick thinking has been praised by both the public and park officials.
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A couple has received widespread praise after stepping in to help a young girl who began panicking when her seatbelt suddenly came undone on a roller coaster ride.
What started as a lighthearted day out at Worlds of Fun amusement park in Kansas City, Missouri, quickly turned into a terrifying experience when the child’s safety restraint on one of the park’s major roller coasters failed mid-ride on October 11.
Fortunately, the couple sitting in front of her, Chris and Cassie Evins, noticed her distress right away and acted on instinct. As the Mamba roller coaster sped along the track, they turned around to help the frightened girl as best they could while still strapped in themselves.
The screams from behind them weren’t the kind that come from thrill-seeking fun—they were cries of real fear. The girl was clearly terrified, and her reaction made it obvious something was wrong.
Chris and Cassie, a married couple from Missouri, later spoke to local reporters about the ordeal. They explained that once they realized her seatbelt had come loose, their only goal was to keep her safe until the ride stopped.
One of the ride’s on-track cameras captured a dramatic photo showing the couple leaning back and holding onto the girl. That photo has since gone viral on social media, with thousands of people commending their fast response and calm thinking under pressure.
Worlds of Fun's Mamba was closed after the incident, and safety inspections were carried out
KCTV5
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In an interview with KCTV5, Chris described the moment they first realized what was happening, saying: "We get on the roller coaster and the very first hill, the girl sitting behind my wife just lets out this blood-curdling scream like I've never heard before."
At first, he thought the young passenger was just reacting to the roller coaster’s steep drops. But when she began shouting that her seatbelt had opened, he immediately knew this was a real emergency. The fear in her voice left no doubt that she was in danger.
Despite the ride moving at high speed—reaching up to 75 mph and climbing over 200 feet into the air—both Chris and Cassie instinctively reached behind them to help the girl stay in her seat, trying to hold her securely through every twist and drop.
The roller coaster ride photo captured the stressful moment
KCTV5 News
Chris continued describing how he reacted in the moment, saying: "I had looped my arm underneath her lap bar, which had a pretty big gap between her and the lap bar. So at this point, I'm seeing a huge space, no seatbelt."
"I looped my arm underneath the lap bar, and I grabbed ahold of her wrist. My wife was pushing down on her legs."
The couple explained that they were very familiar with the Mamba roller coaster, having ridden it many times before. Because of that, they knew when the ride would turn sharply or pick up speed, allowing them to brace and steady the girl before each major shift on the track.
Following the incident, park officials confirmed that the ride does have a secondary safety restraint in addition to the lap bar, and they immediately conducted multiple inspections to ensure the attraction was operating safely.
In a statement, a spokesperson for Worlds of Fun said: "The safety of our guests and team members is a top priority. Following the report of a guest concern on the ride several weeks ago, our team immediately closed the ride and completed a thorough inspection before reopening it that evening."
"The ride is equipped with a multi-layered restraint system, with lap bars being the primary restraint. The seat belts serve as a secondary restraint."
The married couple reflected on the incident and their fears for the girl's safety
KCTV5
"Throughout multiple inspections, there was no evidence of restraint failure in the lap bar system or the buckles on any seat belts during any of the ride inspections and the ride has operated safely since the initial concern was raised."
"On Thursday, the ride underwent a comprehensive safety review by the Fire Marshall. Again, the lap bars and buckles were found fully functional, and we implemented slight modifications to a number of seat belts to ensure they met or exceeded all applicable safety standards before the ride opened to guests that evening."