Shocking documentary shows horrors at world's most dangerous amusement park where multiple people died

A shocking documentary shows the horrors that took place at the world's ‘most dangerous’ amusement park where multiple people died.

Class Action Park was released back in the summer of 2020 on HBO in the US and has a near-perfect Rotten Tomatoes rating.

The documentary film tells the story of the infamous water park, Action Park in New Jersey.

Opening back in 1978, it was a popular spot in the 80s and 90s for its wild attractions. Also dubbed ‘Traction Park’ staff reportedly had to rescue about 100 swimmers from the wave pool on its very first day.

In the trailer for the doc, an interviewee explains: “If you couldn’t swim, well, yikes.” Watch here:

Class Action Park is the first-ever feature-length documentary to explore the 'legend, legacy, and truth behind a place that long ago entered the realm of myth'.

New Jersey's infamous Action Park was supposed to be the most 'spectacularly fun amusement park on Earth: A place where unruly 1980s teenagers were given free rein to go gonzo on strange contraptions that seemed to violate the laws of common sense (and perhaps physics)'.

But in the end, it was nothing but 'an ill-conceived death trap'.

The documentary claims there was 110 injuries in just one year - including 45 head injuries, with the availability of alcohol on-site credited with contributing to these numbers.

HBO

Class Action Park is ‘told through the eyes of kids that went there and worked there’ and is described as ‘darkly comedic’.

A large part of the park’s management team consisted of under 18s with people as young as 14 operating rides - which was against New Jersey law.

Six people are known to have died directly from rides at the park, and one of the main focuses of the film is the death of George Larsson Jr.

The 19-year-old died after riding the 2,700-foot-long Alpine Slide.

Made of concrete, fibreglass and asbestos, it saw riders sit on small sleds with a brake/accelerator stick and descend the slope.

But Larsson’s break was broken, causing his sled to run off track.

HBO

The teen then fell into an embankment, hitting his head on a rock and ended up in a coma before dying.

It’s said that Alpine Slide was responsible for 26 head injuries between 1984 and 1985 alone.

Class Action Park has a whopping 96 percent on the Tomatometer with critics calling it ‘riveting’ and ‘easily justifies the reason for OSH worker’s existence’.

One added that ‘the wave pool had a death zone’ as another wrote: “This nostalgic trip back to the carefree summers of decades past is a hoot until you realize that people actually died here.”

Class Action Park is available to stream on NOW.

Topics: Documentaries, HBO, Theme Park

Jess Battison

Jess is an Entertainment Journalist with a love of all things pop culture. Her main interests include keeping up with the Twitter girlies, waiting for a new series of The Traitors and losing her voice at a Beyoncé concert. She graduated with a first in Journalism from City, University of London in 2021 and has previously worked at MyLondon.

@jessbattison_