maybe more details here:
http://www.nyjournalnews...0070702/NEWS02/707020346 Family mourns Playland operator; park visitors comment on death
By REBECCA BAKER
THE JOURNAL NEWS
(Original publication: July 2, 2007)
RYE - As family and friends gathered yesterday to mourn the loss of Gabriela Garin, authorities continued to investigate how the 21-year-old mother from White Plains was killed on the amusement park ride that she had operated for years.
Westchester County parks spokesman Peter Tartaglia said that according to the preliminary investigation, as described by county officials Saturday, Garin escorted the last few people into the Mind Scrambler about 9:30 p.m. Friday because there were a few available seats.
"She was letting people into the ride," he said. "The ride operator was putting people into the ride and securing them safely. Then Gabriela came in with some more patrons."
Garin placed them into their seats and then got into a seat herself, Tartaglia said, and she was apparently kneeling on the seat as it started.
"For some reason, and we don't know why, she got into a seat herself," he said.
Westchester County officials said early reports by The Associated Press, picked up by other media outlets, mischaracterized their statements.
Garin had finished fastening people into their seats when the ride started, Tartaglia said yesterday.
Tartaglia said the report "misinterpreted or misquoted" him. He said the AP updated its report after he called to request a clarification.
Tartaglia said the investigation was continuing but would not comment on its progress. He would not reveal the name of Friday night's ride operator, whom he said worked for S&L Amusements.
He also said Garin, who had worked at the park since she was 14, was an S&L employee. A message left for S&L Amusements was not returned yesterday.
Garin's death was the fourth in four seasons at the county-run amusement park and the second on the Mind Scrambler. In 2004, 7-year-old Stephanie Dieudonné of New Rochelle was killed after she wriggled out from under the safety belt of the fast-twirling Mind Scrambler.
A year ago this week, 43-year-old Won Yong Kim drowned while wading in Playland Lake. The father from Queens had been celebrating Independence Day by picnicking with his family.
The calm shore of the lake yesterday drew dozens of picnicking patrons who basked in the beautiful weather on a warm, sunny Sunday afternoon.
"Everything is really nice out here," said Brenda Greenhill of the Bronx, who shared a picnic with her daughter, son and his fiancée. "It's so beautiful right by the water."
Surrounding the lake were numerous "No Swimming" signs that the county reinstalled after Kim's death.
Nearby, patrons turned away from the Mind Scrambler, which was guarded by a park ranger.
The Mind Scrambler was among the most popular rides at the park, especially among teens and 'tweens who said they were drawn to its loud hip-hop music, flashing lights and fast spinning.
"You get off of a roller coaster and you want to hear music, you get on that ride," said 16-year-old Tomanathan Rivera from Manhattan. "The ride is great."
David Stillman, a father of two from Manhattan, said he rode the Mind Scrambler as a boy and smiled as he recalled how the inside passenger always got squashed when the ride started.
"There was a lot more laughing than screaming on that ride," he said.
Grace Kaiser, a 10-year-old from Manhattan, said the unpredictability of the ride made it exciting. Her 12-year-old brother, George Kaiser, agreed.
"It's the terror factor," he said. "It's the way people react."
News of the fatal accident didn't stop Grace and George's mom, Alison Estess, from bringing them to the park.
"Sometimes you have freak accidents," she said. "I would bet it's not out of line with other amusement parks. A lot of those other places have water parks, and they're so dangerous."
Teresa and Jose Dadin of Brooklyn brought their 4-year-old daughter and 6-year-old son to Playland yesterday, saying the park is a good bargain, despite its history of fatalities.
"Listen, kids love rides, and nothing is a substitute for them," she said. "Human error exists everywhere. Accidents happen everywhere."
Nationally, an average of four people have died yearly at amusements parks from 1987 to 2005, according to the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions. And of all ride injuries from 2005, the latest year for which statistics are available, just 7 percent required an overnight hospital stay, the IAAPA reported.
Playland's other recent fatality was 7-year-old Jon-Kely Cassara, who was killed on Ye Olde Mill ride in 2005 after he got out of a boat on the enclosed ride and fell through a gap.
Michael Stillman, David Stillman's father, said he grew up visiting Playland and now enjoys sharing the park with his grandchildren. He doubted that the yearly fatalities would hurt the historic park, which he said has always been a destination for families with young children.
"This park has been in existence for a long time," he said. "I think it will survive it all."
Playland employees who knew Gartin wouldn't talk about her. Some cited rules that prohibit staff from talking to the press.
In White Plains, Garin's family gathered at McMahon Lyon & Hartnett Funeral Home for her wake yesterday. She was the mother of a 2-year-old girl and a student at Westchester Community College.
"She was a beautiful girl," her sister Maria Devenney said before declining to comment further.
Staff writer Desiree Grand contributed to this report.
Reach Rebecca Baker at
rebaker@lohud.com or 914-694-5064.