Almost everyone loves amusement parks. Whether it's the funnel cakes, carnival games or exhilarating rides, there is something for everyone to enjoy. Many, however, come for the thrills of rollercoasters, or perhaps for an up-close experience with wild animals.

An amusement park can often feel like a safe place to take a risk, but sometimes these rides and attractions can turn bloody, or even deadly.

Truth is, amusement parks are not always fun and games. Click through the following slides for five stories of tragic, odd and extreme amusement park accidents.

Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom (Louisville, Ky.)

Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom is home to the Superman Tower of Power, which lifts passengers approximately 17 stories before dropping them into free fall.

In 2007, one of the ride's cables broke, wrapping around the neck and legs of 13-year-old passenger Kaitlyn Lasitter. While Kaitlyn was able to free herself from the cable around her neck, it snapped around her legs as the ride descended, severing her feet.

While surgeons were able to reattach her feet, the ride was shortly removed from the park following the accident.

Six Flags over Georgia (Atlanta, Ga.)

While Six Flag's Superman Tower of Power ride has proven to be dangerous, another crime fighting superhero ride has also been involved in a tragic accident.

In June 2008, Batman: The Ride, a rollercoaster at Six Flags in Atlanta, Georgia, claimed the life of 17-year-old Asia Leeshawn Ferguson.

While riding the coaster, which takes riders through the streets of Gotham City and into Bruce Wayne's Batcave, Ferguson lost his hat. Determined to retrieve it, he later climbed over two fences to access the base of the ride, ignoring warning signs posted in the park.

After jumping the fences, the boy wandered into the path of the rollercoaster, coming straight at him at 50 miles per hour. Ferguson was decapitated on impact.

This is not the first time someone was killed at Six Flags on Batman: The Ride. Six years before Ferguson's accident, a groundskeeper was killed under similar circumstances, hit in the head by the leg of one of the coaster's passengers.

Discovery Cove (Orlando, Fla.)

Sea World's Discovery Cove in Orlando, Fla. gives guests an up-close, interactive experience with the park's various animals. Guests have the opportunity to snorkel with fish and interact with dolphins, otters and monkeys.

While for some, these close encounters are a dream come true, for British tourist, 59-year-old Keith Clarke, it would turn into a nightmare.

While swimming at Discovery Cove, Clarke cut part of his toe on a piece of coral. Because he was a hemophiliac, Clarke suffered complications from his wound in the days following his accident, and on his way home, Clarke collapsed in the airport.

Flying back to England, Clarke suffered from septic shock, once home, doctors attempted to save him by amputating his legs below the knee. Unfortunately, their efforts were futile, and Clarke died of group B streptococcal septicaemia and subsequent organ failure.

Six Flags Great Adventure (Jackson Township, N.J.)

Rollercoasters are notably dangerous, but at Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson Township, N.J. the Haunted Castle attraction caused a notable, and unexpected disaster.

The park's Haunted Castle is typical of most theme park haunted houses, where guests walk through a dark space where employees and special effects provide a scary and adrenaline-filled experience.

In 1984, however, park-goers were truly spooked as the Haunted Castle burst into flames. While most of the guests were able to escape safely, eight teenagers were trapped inside the attraction and died in the blaze.

The bodies of the teenagers were burned beyond the point of recognition, and they could only be identified by dental records.

After the incident, the park would install safety precautions including sprinklers and smoke detectors inside the Castle. The park was brought up on charges following the tragedy, but Six Flags escaped responsibility for the incident, as the Castle was considered a “temporary structure,” and the fire was likely caused by arson rather than negligence.

Busch Gardens (Williamsburg, Va.)

On a much lighter note, Italian model Fabio Lanzoni (known simply as Fabio) was the victim of a strange, unfortunate amusement park accident.

While visiting Busch Gardens in Williamsburg, Va. in 1999, Fabio was honored with the privilege of riding the then-new Apollo's Chariot roller coaster on its maiden voyage. While riding the coaster, which reaches speeds of up to 73 miles per hour, Fabio collided with an airborne, 10-pound goose which essentially exploded on impact.

The model was photographed exiting the ride with a bloody face and immediately taken to the hospital, where he was treated for minor injuries. Despite Fabio's accident, the rollercoaster reopened within 15 minutes, as park officials considered the collision to be a freak accident.

While Fabio would go on to model in “I Can't Believe It's Not Butter” commercials, the goose, unfortunately, did not survive the accident.

Special Reports /

The 5 craziest amusement park accidents

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