NEED TO KNOW

• The 1986 Mindbender roller coaster accident killed three riders and severely injured survivor Rod Chayko

• An investigation blamed design flaws, leading to safety modifications before the ride reopened in 1987

• The record-breaking roller coaster closed permanently in January 2023 after 37 years of operation

About six months after the Mindbender roller coaster debuted at Alberta, Canada’s West Edmonton Mall indoor theme park, Fantasyland, in December 1985, two friends decided to ride the attraction for the first time on June 14, 1986.

Rod Chayko, of Fort McMurray, and 24-year-old David Sager, from Calgary, traveled to the mall for a night of fun. During their visit, they wanted to ride the new attraction, which was the world’s largest indoor triple-loop roller coaster and billed as one of the world’s safest rides. 

The pair was seated in the last row of the fourth and last car on the train. They were seated behind Tony Mandrusiak, 24, and his fiancée Cindy Sims, 21.

As the ride vehicle traveled down the minute-and-a-half ride, the fourth car lost a wheel and continued swaying and bumping around a curve. As the train made its way up the center loop, the attraction stopped and it began to roll backward.  On the way down, the last car smashed into a concrete pillar. 

“I remember feeling it sway and grabbing onto the handle,” Chayko, then 55, told CBC in 2016 on the 30th anniversary of the incident. “The next thing, I was landing on the ground.”

The incident shattered his lower legs, crushed half his left shoulder and broke his feet, pelvis, lower back and every rib on his left side. Chayko survived, but nearby riders, including his friend, did not. 

“David, Tony, and Cindy are dead and it changed my life forever,” Chayko told the outlet. 

The remaining passengers were safely evacuated off the attraction and taken to a local hospital for evaluation, sustaining only minor injuries. 

An investigation into the incident later blamed a West German company for design and manufacturing flaws. It found four bolts had come loose, allowing the wheel to fall off. 

Following the incident, the ride received a number of modifications, including a reduction of train cars from four to three. Anti-rollback mechanisms were also added to prevent the train from rolling backward. A seat belt and headrest were also added to each seat. The ride reopened the following January. 

Chayko told CBC he received an undisclosed settlement from the mall following the incident, noting, “I’m famous but I ain’t rich.” 

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Mindbender took guests for one last ride in January 2023 when the attraction closed permanently after 37 years.

A new NERF-themed roller coaster manufactured by Vekoma is currently under construction to replace the record-breaking attraction, according to Theme Park News.

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