Man dies in fall from amusement ride
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Tokyo Joypolis in Daiba, Minato Ward
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A 30-year-old disabled man died April 18 after he plunged from a ride at a Tokyo amusement park when he was not wearing a seat belt, police said.
Junichi Tsubouchi slipped from a seat of the ride, named "Viva Skydiving," and fell about 5 meters to the ground at Tokyo Joypolis in Daiba, Minato Ward. Sega Corp. operates the facility.
In the attraction, people secured by safety bars and seat belts swoop and fall in the air so they feel as if they are sky diving.
But instructors told the man only to fasten the safety bars after he said he could not put on the seat belt due to his large size, police said.
Tsubouchi had been on a visit to Tokyo from Ishikawa Prefecture, since April 17 along with two care workers.
An operating manual for the attraction says the disabled people can use the ride as long as they are seated next to someone who can assist them.
But the manual prohibits a person who cannot wear a safety belt from using the ride.
The Japan Times Weekly: April 23, 2005 (C) All rights reserved
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