A Missouri couple is being hailed as heroes for saving a young girl’s life after her seatbelt came undone on a roller coaster, prompting a “blood-curdling scream.”

The frightening incident occurred at Worlds of Fun amusement park in Kansas City on October 11, when Chris and Cassie Evins decided to ride the Mamba roller coaster, according to KCTV5.

“We get on the roller coaster and the very first hill, the girl sitting behind my wife just lets out this blood-curdling scream like I’ve never heard before,” Chris Evins told the outlet. Initially, he assumed it was the girl’s first time on the ride and that she was simply scared. However, she soon revealed the terrifying truth.

“She said my seatbelt came undone,” Chris recalled.

Without hesitation, the couple sprang into action. Despite the coaster reaching speeds of up to 75 mph, they reached behind them to secure the girl to her seat.

“I had looped my arm underneath her lap bar, which had a pretty big gap between her and the lap bar. So at this point, I’m seeing a huge space, no seatbelt,” Chris explained. “I looped my arm underneath the lap bar, and I grabbed a hold of her wrist. My wife was pushing down on her legs.”

As season ticket holders of the amusement park, the Evins were familiar with the twists, turns, and hills of the Mamba. This knowledge helped them anticipate the coaster’s movements while securing the girl.

“As we crested each hill or as we started to go up to the top, I recognized that it was going to lift her out of her seat,” Chris said. “So I kind of shifted our positions to, instead of hold her, to push down on her whole body to keep her from coming out of the seat while we’re going over those hills.”

The couple successfully kept the rider secure until the ride stopped. A photo taken by the ride’s camera captured the terrified girl screaming for her life as the Evins did their best to keep her safe.

“My whole thought after the incident is, what if it had been somebody else in our seats? What if it was others, her friends?” Chris reflected.

After the ride ended, the couple was separated from the girl amid the chaos and never had the opportunity to speak with her or her family. Nevertheless, they are grateful she is safe.

“You know, they could have had a drastically different outcome,” Chris said.

In response to the incident, Worlds of Fun immediately shut down the Mamba and conducted a thorough inspection.

“The ride has undergone a comprehensive safety review, and we have implemented modifications requested by the Fire Marshall to ensure it meets or exceeds all applicable safety standards before it reopens to guests this evening,” a spokesperson for the amusement park stated.

The Missouri Department of Public Safety confirmed that the Mamba had passed an inspection on April 25. However, a “spot inspection” on October 30 led to the ride being temporarily shut down. Following repairs, the ride was reinspected that afternoon and approved to operate again.

The heroic actions of Chris and Cassie Evins serve as a powerful reminder of vigilance and quick thinking in emergency situations, especially in environments where safety is paramount.
https://nypost.com/2025/11/04/us-news/missouri-couple-saved-young-girls-life-after-blood-curdling-scream-alerted-them-that-her-seatbelt-popped-open-on-roller-coaster/