July 28, 2015 - Accident
The Freischütz accident in July 2015
A technician is struck while the roller coaster is operating, followed by an investigation and inspection
On 28 July 2015, a technician is critically injured by a Freischütz train while the ride is operating; a passenger is lightly injured. The technician dies several days later. The coaster closes for investigation and reopens after no mechanical defect is identified.
Back to timeline
An accident inside the ride area
On the morning of 28 July 2015, Freischütz is operating when a technician is present inside the ride area. A passing train strikes him and causes critical injuries. A passenger in the vehicle also suffers light injuries. Emergency services fly the technician to hospital and criminal investigators begin reconstructing the precise circumstances. The first public reports do not immediately establish why he was inside that area while the ride was operating.
Closure, investigation and inspection
Bayern-Park closes Freischütz immediately. Police and the occupational safety authority inspect the location before any return to service. Several days after the accident, the technician dies from his injuries. Reports published after the inspections state that no defect in the ride was found. Freischütz subsequently reopens to visitors. This distinction is important to the account: the accident involves a person being within the train’s operating area, while the inspections do not identify a mechanical failure of the roller coaster.
A lasting event in the history of the ride
Freischütz remains one of Bayern-Park’s major attractions and continues operating after the inspections. The 2015 accident nevertheless belongs to its history because it led to an official closure, an investigation and the death of a staff member. It is the most serious documented event in the roller coaster’s chronology since its 2011 opening.
Share this article
Send this article to someone interested in The Freischütz accident in July 2015 - Bayern-Park.