On February 24, 2012, 14-year-old Gabriela Yukari Nichimura died after falling from the drop tower, because its lock opened at about high. The problem was in Gabriela's chair which had been unused for 10 years, due to the seat's location where a person could bump into the metal frame of the

drop tower A drop tower or big drop is a type of amusement ride incorporating a central structure or tower. Drop towers vary in height, passenger capacity, lift type, and brake type. Many are custom-made, although there are some mass-produced designs. Th ...

, in addition to the absence of a

seat belt A seat belt (also known as a safety belt, or spelled seatbelt) is a vehicle safety device designed to secure the driver or a passenger of a vehicle against harmful movement that may result during a collision or a sudden stop. A seat belt reduc ...

. The park closed hours after the accident. A full review that began on March 2 of the same year was performed on all rides. Upon completion of the review and signing of a Conduct Adjustment Term (CAT), the park was reopened on March 25, 2012, but the

tower A tower is a tall Nonbuilding structure, structure, taller than it is wide, often by a significant factor. Towers are distinguished from guyed mast, masts by their lack of guy-wires and are therefore, along with tall buildings, self-supporting ...

remained banned. ''La Tour Eiffel'' is a

of the

Hopi Hari Hopi Hari is a Brazilian theme park located at Km 72 of Bandeirantes Highway, Vinhedo, in the state of São Paulo. It is located 30 km away from Campinas and 72 km away from São Paulo. With 0.76 km2, it is considered the second ...

amusement park An amusement park is a park that features various attractions, such as rides and games, as well as other events for entertainment purposes. A theme park is a type of amusement park that bases its structures and attractions around a central ...

Vinhedo Vinhedo is a municipality in the state of São Paulo in Brazil. It is part of the Metropolitan Region of Campinas. The population in 2020 was 80,111 and its area is . It has a population density of 777 inhabitants per square kilometer. The elevatio ...

São Paulo São Paulo (, ; Portuguese for 'Saint Paul') is the most populous city in Brazil, and is the capital of the state of São Paulo, the most populous and wealthiest Brazilian state, located in the country's Southeast Region. Listed by the GaWC a ...

. It opened along with the park on November 30, 1999. The

lets participants enter into free fall from a height of 69.5 meters, or 228 feet (the equivalent of a 23-story building) at a speed of approximately . At the time, the family had plans to sue the park for material and moral damage. Gabriela's family even asked for R$ 4 million in compensation from Hopi Hari and R$ 1 million from

City Hall. On May 9, 2012, the

Public Prosecution Service A prosecutor is a legal representative of the prosecution in states with either the common law adversarial system or the civil law inquisitorial system. The prosecution is the legal party responsible for presenting the case in a criminal trial ...

indicted 12 people for the accident, including the then president of the park, Armando Pereira Filho. The park even tried to make a deal with the family. In 2017, three employees were convicted of manslaughter for two years and eight months of community service and the payment of a minimum wage for a social entity. Another five employees were acquitted. In the civil sphere, the family and the park came to an undisclosed agreement. On May 18, 2017, the

Supreme Federal Court The Supreme Federal Court ( pt, Supremo Tribunal Federal, , abbreviated STF) is the supreme court (court of last resort) of Brazil, serving primarily as the Constitutional Court of the country. It is the highest court of law in Brazil for consti ...

discontinued a lawsuit against former President Armando Pereira Filho. The family is treated for what happened.

Reopening

After changes in the drop tower, it was estimated to be back in August 2019, but in June 2019 the management decided against its reopening, due to the need for US$ to recover the equipment and the realization of marketing.

References

Notes

:1. Hours in UTC-2 (

Daylight saving time Daylight saving time (DST), also referred to as daylight savings time or simply daylight time (United States, Canada, and Australia), and summer time (United Kingdom, European Union, and others), is the practice of advancing clocks (typicall ...

). {{coord missing, Brazil Drop tower rides Towers in Brazil Eiffel Tower reproductions Buildings and structures in São Paulo (state)