Park of death comes alive again

The rides were death-defying - on a good day - and the water slides as likely to land you in hospital as in the pool.

But that was just how visitors to New Jersey's pleasure ground Action Park liked it.

In a bygone thrill-seeking era, before lawsuits and tragedy brought an end to the fun, the site was nicknamed "Traction Park" because of the serious injuries incurred by revellers.

Later known as "Class Action Park", after six deaths resulted in a barrage of lawsuits, the resort finally shut its doors in 1996.

But nostalgia for those carefree days, when visitors knew they were risking life and limb each time they boarded one of the rickety rides, has inspired its owner to reopen its doors. And though health and safety police have been appeased with a few modifications, visitors say the fun is almost as hair-raising as it was in the heady days of the 1970s.

The original rides included perhaps the most dangerous attraction - Alpine Slide - which sent visitors hurtling down a concrete track built into a hill in a car controlled only by a hand brake.

Riders regularly lost the skin on their elbows - and other body parts - as both they and the car careered off the track.

Bumped heads were common thanks to pools that were too shallow for diving, whereas a spell in the wave pool often resulted in a battle with the suction draft.

Former staff members recently held a reunion and many New Jersey residents have been returning.

But Andy Mulvihill, son of the park's founder, insists the accidents will stay in the past.

"The world's changed," he said. "I refuse to be involved in any rides [in which] anybody can get hurt."

New Jersey senator Cory Booker said he was prepared to give the park a whirl despite still sporting scars from a childhood visit. "I so want to go again," he tweeted.