by: KTLA Digital Staff Posted: Jul 17, 2021 / 09:46 PM PDT Updated: Jul 18, 2021 / 11:03 AM PDT This is an archived article and the information in the article may be
outdated. Please look at the time stamp on the story to see when it was last updated. Police and fire crews responded to reports of a man climbing a ride at Knott’s Berry Farm Saturday evening. Buena Park Police and the Orange County Fire Authority responded to the scene at around 8 p.m., when a man had climbed to the top of Supreme Scream, refusing to come down. La Palma Avenue between Beach Boulevard and Western Avenue was temporarily closed, Buena Park police said in a tweet. Police advised the public to stay away from the area as officers worked to get the man off of the top of the ride safely. Knott’s Berry Farm issued a statement on the incident Saturday night, saying that the theme park was made aware of the incident and that “park personnel alerted local law enforcement and emergency responders.” Park officials turned off most of the rides in the park and
evacuated guests below the tower. It is unclear how the man managed to climb the tower unnoticed and how long he was up there before rescuers arrived. Park officials said the man descended the tower at about 8:55 p.m. and made it to the ground safely. Police say he came down on his own without incident and was taken to a nearby hospital for evaluation.
An unidentified man has been hospitalized after climbing to the top of a 325 ft ride at Knott's Berry Farm theme park in California. In a series of videos posted to Twitter by eye-witnesses, a shirtless man could be seen climbing to the top of the park's Supreme Scream ride. One video showed the man halfway up the structure while PM Breaking News reported that he could be heard "screaming" from the top of the ride. At least two other clips posted by onlookers filming from a distance captured the man appearing to wave his arms around while the area around the ride was evacuated. Local news cameras later picked up shots of the man sitting calmly on top of the ride with his arms outstretched. Adrian Placencia was among those at the park who witnessed the dramatic events unfold first-hand. He told Newsweek: "My sister and I were resting on a bench when we suddenly saw a man hurriedly cross the crowd at one of the plazas at Knotts, as if he was anxious to get somewhere." "He was covering half of his face with his shirt, had a large backpack on, and was also very dirty, with soiled baggy clothing. His eyes were wide open and his movements were a bit unnatural." "My sister and I disregarded the situation, even though we found it odd and decided to go on the "Supreme Scream" ride," he continued. "Upon arriving, we noticed that there was a large crowd beginning to form with people taking out their cellphones and pointing them in the direction of the ride. To our surprise, the same man we saw earlier, had jumped over the boundaries, and began to climb the ladder used for emergencies and maintenance." "Everything happened very quickly," Placencia said. "People were confused, as we didn't know who the man was, or what was going on." While staff and onlookers rushed to notify the authorities, he says that there was a notable change among those watching on as it became clear "this was no park-related stunt." "The emotional reaction of spectators at the park shifted from curiosity to concern," he said. "People began leaving the scene, including I, because there was a possibility that the man was there to jump. Not only was it dangerous if he did, but the emotional burden of the possibility was enough to defer most park-goers to leave. He added: "As we walked away, glancing at the tower periodically, we noticed the man had finally reached the top, and was actually trying to reach for the American flag located at the tip. He then gave up, and proceeded to sit down, pound his chest, stand up, dance, and more." Police spokesperson Sgt. Mario Escamilla told the Orange County Register that the alarm was first raised when park visitors flagged down an officer at around 7:22 pm and pointed out the man climbing up the ride. Buena Park Police then arrived at the scene along with the Orange County Fire Authority while La Palma Avenue was temporarily closed between Beach Boulevard and Western Avenue. Police subsequently issued an appeal to the public on social media to "please stay out of the area while we work to bring this person down, safely." Though the park stayed open, the area around the Supreme Scream was cordoned off with firefighters preparing to conduct a technical rescue. Ultimately the man climbed down of his own accord with Buena Park police confirming, at around 9 pm, that "the subject has come down safely."
Officials from Orange County Fire Authority later tweeted: "Once the individual was secured, our firefighter paramedics assessed and transported him to a local hospital.'' Sgt. Mario Escamilla told the Orange County Register the man would be undergoing a mental health evaluation. It remains unclear how the unidentified individual managed to climb to the top of the ride or whether he will face any criminal charges as a result of his actions. Responding to the incident, Knott's Berry Farm said in a statement: "Knott's Berry Farm became aware of a male who had accessed an unauthorized area and climbed the Supreme Scream tower. "Park personnel alerted local law enforcement and emergency responders who are now on site. The guest descended the tower at 8:55 p.m. and is now currently safely on the ground in police custody. No other information is available at this time. The safety of our guests is always our top priority.'' The incident comes just over a week after a drive-by shooting took place outside the park. Two teenage boys were injured in the attack, which took place on July 9.  Newsweek has reached out to several eye-witnesses and Knott's Berry Farm for comment. Update 07/19/21, 5:30 a.m. ET: This article was updated with comment from Adrian Placencia. What happened to the man who climbed Supreme Scream?"Knott's Berry Farm became aware of a male who had accessed a unauthorized area and climbed the Supreme Scream tower. Park personnel alerted local law enforcement and emergency responders who are now on site. The guest descended the tower at 8:55 p.m. and is now currently safely on the ground in police custody.
What is the scariest roller coaster in Knott's Berry Farm?Looming 118 feet over historic Ghost Town, GhostRider is the largest attraction at Knott's Berry Farm and one of the longest and tallest wooden roller coasters in the world.
How tall is Knotts Supreme Scream?95 mSupreme Scream / Heightnull
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Knotts Berry Farm Supreme Scream accident
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