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

[Locke]

Thats sad.

I used to compete on that track.

[chemgear]

Indeed, very sad to hear.

That said, I have to admit that I didn't get into theft, trespassing or B&E when my friends and I were teenagers (sober or otherwise). I wonder if forum members feel a bit more connected given the local location.

If this story were a group of 8 teens in some southern US state breaking into an amusement park and getting themselves killed, I'd guess there might be a little more cynicism.

Regardless, is sounds like the other 6 are in non life threatening condition. It's going to be a tough ride for them knowing their 2 friends are dead.

[calgaryblood]

Damn can't imagine how scary that must have been. Those tracks go insanely fast. Awful tragedy. RIP.

[SinceDay1]

Originally Posted by troutman

Terrible tragedy. My boys ski at COP all the time.

Is there not 24 hour security around COP?

I can't speak to the security at Winsport but it's not exactly Fort Knox. Purely speculation on my part but it's possible they gained entry to the park in the extreme SW corner of Winsport adjacent to the start of the bobsled track. Prior to the development of Cougar Ridge, there was a continuous chainlink perimeter fence in this location. With the development of Cougar Ridge the south portion of the fence was replaced by a retaining wall that separates the houses in Cougar Ridge from Winsport. As of this past July (last time I was up there) there was a 1 meter gap between the end of the retaining wall and the preexisting chainlink fence. I don't know if it's been closed off but I suspect not. Have a look for yourself.

https://www.google.ca/maps/@51.07613.../data=!3m1!1e3

[FlamesAddiction]

Like others have said, it's scary because a lot of us have done stupid things as a teen and we can relate. It's like teen males are wired to be reckless.

Nowadays too, there is the whole "gopro" and YouTube aspect where they are probably even more tempted to try these things.

[underGRADFlame]

First off I will state I feel horrible for everyone involved teens/family/CPS/EMS/CFD/COP. The families going through this loss, i can't even imagine. The first responders having to deal with the situation sucks, and COP, god knows because of this security and many other things will have to change because of this senselessness.

It's needless loss of life, but I do hate the kids being kids excuse though. Had these teens been drunk driving we would look at this with venom because even teens should know better than to drink and drive, or at least they should. How is going down an olympic track on a sled, in the dark, without any safety equipment even a thought that passes through someones head as a good idea, is hard for me to fathom.

Part of me hopes that this was caused by drunken stupidness, because if these kids did this sober, just wow!

[calgaryblood]

Originally Posted by underGRADFlame

First off I will state I feel horrible for everyone involved teens/family/CPS/EMS/CFD/COP. The families going through this loss, i can't even imagine. The first responders having to deal with the situation sucks, and COP, god knows because of this security and many other things will have to change because of this senselessness.

It's needless loss of life, but I do hate the kids being kids excuse though. Had these teens been drunk driving we would look at this with venom because even teens should know better than to drink and drive, or at least they should. How is going down an olympic track on a sled, in the dark, without any safety equipment even a thought that passes through someones head as a good idea, is hard for me to fathom.

Part of me hopes that this was caused by drunken stupidness, because if these kids did this sober, just wow!

Drunks who drive drunk have heard "don't drink and drive" literally thousands of times.

I don't think anyone has ever said to teens "don't go down a bobsled track on a sled"

They likely didn't realize the dangers.

[underGRADFlame]

Originally Posted by calgaryblood

Drunks who drive drunk have heard "don't drink and drive" literally thousands of times.

I don't think anyone has ever said to teens "don't go down a bobsled track on a sled"

They likely didn't realize the dangers.

There are somethings in life that we shouldn't have to be told.

[calgaryblood]

Originally Posted by underGRADFlame

There are somethings in life that we shouldn't have to be told.

And yet full grown adults continue to drink and drive....not hard to fathom how some teens would not grasp the danger of what they did.

[FlamesAddiction]

Originally Posted by calgaryblood

Drunks who drive drunk have heard "don't drink and drive" literally thousands of times.

I don't think anyone has ever said to teens "don't go down a bobsled track on a sled"

They likely didn't realize the dangers.

I don't like the comparison either because there is a callousness to drunk driving. You put everyone else on the road at risk when you do it.

While taking a sled down a bobsled track isn't wise, they were only putting themselves at risk. It's not nearly as bad as drunk driving.

[Slava]

Originally Posted by underGRADFlame

First off I will state I feel horrible for everyone involved teens/family/CPS/EMS/CFD/COP. The families going through this loss, i can't even imagine. The first responders having to deal with the situation sucks, and COP, god knows because of this security and many other things will have to change because of this senselessness.

It's needless loss of life, but I do hate the kids being kids excuse though. Had these teens been drunk driving we would look at this with venom because even teens should know better than to drink and drive, or at least they should. How is going down an olympic track on a sled, in the dark, without any safety equipment even a thought that passes through someones head as a good idea, is hard for me to fathom.

Part of me hopes that this was caused by drunken stupidness, because if these kids did this sober, just wow!

While I definitely agree that the "kids being kids" sounds a little silly to justify this, its not like they deserved to die because of a dumb mistake. Like I said, certainly its stupid and no one is really disputing that. Its a particularly terrible outcome for teenaged stupidity though.

[Manhattanboy]

So very sad.

The fact my own initial reaction was idiots actually pisses me off. Shows I am just getting old.

[TheGrimm]

We all know it was a stupid decision in hindsight, but this is something that the survivors and parents of the deceased will have to live with. I am pretty sure some empathy is in order and I, for one, won't be judging anyone. I've done a number of stupid things in my life which could have led to something like this. I am sure those kids knew there was risk involved, but I am also sure they (like everyone ever) didn't think it would happen to them.

I feel awful for those involved.

[underGRADFlame]

Originally Posted by calgaryblood

And yet full grown adults continue to drink and drive....not hard to fathom how some teens would not grasp the danger of what they did.

I don't consider it tragic when a drunk driver kills themselves though, its tragic when innocent lives are taken by their actions.

My point is I don't like the excuses "kids being kids" because 99.9% of kids don't need to be told don't trespass onto an olympic bobsled track and go down it on a sled, at night, in the dark, with no safety equipment, possibly while drunk.

[llwhiteoutll]

The fact remains that these kids were engaged in criminal activity at the time and its pretty well known that luge/bobseld is dangerous when a professional does it.

Lack of common sense and disregard for potential consequences. Not to mention a serious lack of preplanning.

It sucks, but in the end there is no one but the people involved who are at fault.

[Trojan97]

Originally Posted by llwhiteoutll

The fact remains that these kids were engaged in criminal activity at the time and its pretty well known that luge/bobseld is dangerous when a professional does it.

Lack of common sense and disregard for potential consequences. Not to mention a serious lack of preplanning.

It sucks, but in the end there is no one but the people involved who are at fault.

Yep, sounds like a bunch of teenage boys to me.

Who is arguing that they aren't ultimately responsible for their decision?

[Zevo]

Originally Posted by troutman

Terrible tragedy. My boys ski at COP all the time.

Is there not 24 hour security around COP?

Probably, but there is(was) 24 hr security at Heritage Park and we had no problems tooling around there in the dark, ripped on shrooms.

[doctajones428]

So because you guys have done stupid thing like this and lived that makes their actions ok? If these guys were 30 would you be saying "Oh, we've all done stupid things as adults too"?

I don't feel much sympathy for people who piss their lives away and take them for granted with delinquent behaviour when I've had to suffer and fight so many times to have mine at an age not much older than theirs

I don't feel these kids deserved to die, but I'm not going to excuse their behaviour because it happened to kill them

Condolences to their friends and families

[PepsiFree]

Honestly, I'm too mad/sad about this whole thing, I've deleted like three posts.

All I can say: a couple of you "adults" don't need a reminder what it's like to be a teenager, you need a reminder of what it's like to be a human being. Apparently you forgot.

This is tragic. Period.

[Erick Estrada]

I did a lot of really stupid things when I was young (much more than the average person) but I don't think I would have tempted fate on this one even if I was under the influence as it's borderline Russian Roulette as this outcome is exactly what you would expect.