2 dead & 6 injured as teens take after hours sled ride down Winsport bobsleigh track

[blueski]

I remember some friends climbing the 90 meter jump early in the morning and taking it on their downhill skis back when I was about the same age as these kids. That was too crazy for me.

I'm sad for these kids though, pretty innocent mistake, who would think there'd be a gate in the track. Think of all the other dumb things we did/do when drunk. This was pretty innocent.

[4X4]

Originally Posted by The Ditch

Can't believe there are literally people in her comparing this to drunk driving, way to show that the stupid redneck Albertan isn't just a generalization.

Woah. Really? And where are you from? Some amazing place where nobody says anything that you disagree with? You need to back away from the keyboard and shut your yap.

[FlamesAddiction]

Originally Posted by CorsiHockeyLeague

Some of the reactions in this thread are really interesting... are people really not able to appreciate that an event can be shocking and heartbreaking, but nonetheless the result of abject stupidity? Two things can be true at the same time.
.

Not a single person here said that it wasn't stupid. I am sure everyone would agree that it was stupid.

There is no reason to point it out really.

[getbak]

Would there have been any lighting on the track at the time?

[taco.vidal]

Originally Posted by getbak

Would there have been any lighting on the track at the time?

Ive been trying to think about this in terms of when you drive my late at night when its not in use. I think its minimal. Lighting could impact video surveillance video quality. Also wonder how much CCTV there is at the facility so how much of this activity was caught on video or whether the trespassers had any GoPro or cellphone camera running. Video could play a part if this ever goes to civil court in terms of how access was gained.

[troutman]

Found out I know one of the teachers of these boys.

I'm sure the families will need our support and in due course we will hear about these young men.

Understand these were good kids - good students. Just a tragic mistake.

[Resolute 14]

Originally Posted by Fuzz

I don't think that's a fair assessment. As a tanager most of the dumb stuff we did was because we were bored, not drunk.

Dunno about your friends, but with mine, most of the dumb stuff we did at 1:30 AM involved both boredom and alcohol. Lowered inhibitions and greater willingness to take risks. Alcohol being involved would not make the incident any less tragic, however.

[ranchlandsselling]

Count me in with the group that figured
1. not being in an engineered bobsled
2. not having a sprinter pushed start
3. having a cheap toboggan

Would have resulted in a possibly scary but not outrageously death defying experience that one could have bailed out of in clothes and come to a stop via friction or doing a snowman.

At 16 I wouldn't have thought to "walk the course" for hazards or that there would be a steel wall in the middle of the course.

Pretty small world and there's going to be some posters who know or know someone who will be closely affected by this.

Horrible story, horrible situation for everyone involved. Makes me pretty sad.

[taco.vidal]

This Herald article talks about lighting and video.

http://calgaryherald.com/storyline/t...a-olympic-park

He said emergency workers were challenged by low lighting and slippery sections of the facility, but were overall prepared to handle the “difficult situation.”

Wyatt said due to the injuries sustained, it took police some time to identify many of the victims. Police announced late Saturday that they had notified the next of kin of the teens who died. The names of the victims will be released publicly on Sunday after extended family and friends have been informed.

The traffic collision reconstruction unit is aiding with the investigation.

Police had originally said they were looking for two teen witnesses who may have been part of the group, but later clarified they are not looking for any additional people.

Wyatt said police found two vehicles at the scene believed to be connected to the group, which have been towed for examination.

He said investigators are still trying to determine how and where the group got onto the property and are reviewing CCTV footage for clues. He said he’s unaware if there were security guards at the site at the time.

He added officers are also conducting neighbourhood inquiries to see if any of the homes in the area have security cameras that might have captured some activity overnight.

[meanmachine13]

I used to do security at COP. It would have needed to be perfect timing on the guards patrol to know that someone was on the track. the park is huge and even though there is 24/7 security, they cannot be everywhere at once. The park is locked down at the top of the hill at approx 10pm with gates and fencing stretching the entire perimeter. Its going to be interesting to see the changes if any that come from this for COP.

[MRCboicgy]

Originally Posted by Locke

I just had a client ask me: arent there any safety measures?

Sure. Tons of them. When the place is open and staffed.

Kind of reminds me of the guy who had his arm nommed on by a tiger at the zoo.

Tragic, senseless, heartbreaking. I don't think any of us would want to work in pure lock-down forever.

[Robo]

The two teens kiled were twins very tragic condolences to the family

[KTrain]

More heartbreak, the two dead boys were twin brothers.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgar...dent-1.3437074

[CampbellsTransgressions]

Most of us know not to mess around with bobsled/luge tracks because we've all either had the experience of watching the Winter Olympics several times and understand the speed and difficulty, or remember very well what happened in Vancouver 6 years ago.

While these kids may have known, they're only 16-17 years old and were much younger when those events occurred.

Anyway, what I believe to be the real problem:

I'm 23, so I suppose I'm not out of the age range at which people still do stupid things. I know I'm not, it seems like my friends are all a bunch of idiots that think smoking pot and getting behind the wheel is okay because they're somehow better than everyone else in the world. Before any objections: I wouldn't talk to them, but it seems that everyone I talk to thinks it's okay so what can I do? I guess I just attract a bad crowd.

A very close family friend died in a drunk driving accident a few years back, and it's obviously the first thing I think of every time I see a teenager or young adult end up getting themselves killed doing something stupid. For present me, the biggest deterrent is having seen the consequences - seeing the persons mother in absolute despair, and thinking, "why would I risk putting my parents through that?". I try explaining this to my friends, but I guess until you've seen the devastation first hand, it just doesn't resonate very well.

I'm sure many of the people on here have all lost at least one person to young-person-stupidity and are in the same position as me, where the biggest deterrent is knowing what you will put your family and friends through (or anyone else's family and friends, in the case of impaired driving).

This just isn't the case with most teenagers. They have no life experience to keep their arrogance in check, so they end up doing stupid and arrogant things.

[GGG]

Even after hearing the outcome.

If someone said to me you want to try taking sleds down the bobsled track my first reaction is that sounds awesome.

While drunk and young we went tubing down a ridiculously steep hill with big drop offs. Everyone got hurt. A broken leg, a broken arm, a couple of sprained wrists and ankles. One cracked vertebrae. Really we were lucky no one was seriously hurt and arthritis was the only long term affect.

But even after that and knowing the risks the idea of going down the bobsled track sounds awesome. My mind even starts to go with the track actually isn't that steep, it's less steep than a toboggan hill it's the lack of friction on the runners that make it go fast. People crash going 100k/h and survive. With all the extra friction we will only do 50 and with a long run out we'd be fine. Now I'd probably wear a helmet and let someone else go first and make it down and only have one person on the track at a time. And sitting here knowing the outcome I can rationalize doing it.

Then I think I can just spend $60 go faster and have proper gear so why do it the risky way. But I get why this happened. It's sad that these kids stupid decision had tragic consequences. I look back and am thankful mine didn't and hope my kids stupid decisions don't kill them.

Humans are terrible at risk assessment and teenagers worse. It's just very sad.

[T@T]

Extremely sad for the family's effected.

A friend of mine who has gone down that track on a bobsled said there's no way they would have made it all the way down on toboggan, the track can produce 5 G's in some turns.

There's a reason bobsleds and Luge sleds have sharpened runners. Maybe no one dies if that gate was open but I suspect a lot of bad injury's at the finish line.

I know teenage boys think their invincible but one would think 1 of those 8 boys would have thought it out. It has the earmarks of someone at school claiming they did it and what a rush it was.

[Northendzone]

Brutal,those two boys were twins.

I have never been a on luge or bobsled track - but I seem to think these things can go as fast as 100 kph. So, do you think you would go faster than a luge/bobsled on a toboggan?

[T@T]

Originally Posted by Northendzone

Brutal,those two boys were twins.

I have never been a on luge or bobsled track - but I seem to think these things can go as fast as 100 kph. So, do you think you would go faster than a luge/bobsled on a toboggan?

Upwards of 150.

[You Need a Thneed]

Originally Posted by Northendzone

Brutal,those two boys were twins.

I have never been a on luge or bobsled track - but I seem to think these things can go as fast as 100 kph. So, do you think you would go faster than a luge/bobsled on a toboggan?

A tobaggan wouldn't go quite as fast, but still plenty fast.

[sureLoss]

Lot of people on social media claiming to be former employees and saying it was pretty common for people to go down the track after hours.

Technical data for the track says a 4 man bobsleigh would be going about 96.6 km/h at that point in the track

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgar...park-1.3437391

This quote is from an actual Bobsledder

Despite its danger, even professional sliders have fooled around on the bobsled and luge runs.

"It's a great temptation to hop on something and go down the track," Brian Grant, a former bobsledder who trained and worked at the park, told CBC News.

When Cool Runnings was being filmed there Grant says he and some others slid down on seat cushions but he quickly lost control and had to grab the walls to try and slow down.

He's heard of other employees pulling similar stunts but says there's an important difference between staff and Saturday's victims.

"Obviously they are familiar with the barricade situation and I would assume that the people last night aren't aware of that," said Grant.

"Once they started from the top they would not have been able to stop."