This is a summary of notable incidents that have taken place at various European amusement parks, water parks, or theme parks. This list is not intended to be a comprehensive list of every such event, but only those that have a significant impact on the parks or park owners, or are otherwise significantly newsworthy.

Alton Towers, Staffordshire, England

Congo River Rapids

In 1999, a park employee nearly drowned after he slipped and became stuck between a raft and a turntable that powered the ride.

Oblivion

On 8 May 2012, a 20-year-old man entered a restricted area of the ride and walked into the tunnel. He was rescued by fire crews. The ride resumed operation the following day. On 25 July 2017, passengers were evacuated from the ride after a train stopped at the top of the lift hill. No injuries were reported.

Sky Ride On 30 June 2004, due to a strong gust of wind, the Sky Ride cables became caught, jamming the ride. About 80 people were on the ride, and nine people had to be rescued by being abseiled down cables. During the 2007 Scarefest season, a fire broke out in the Forbidden Valley section of the park due to a halogen lamp that damaged the roof and mechanics of the ride. The damage was repairable, but the ride had to be closed for six months before reopening midway through the 2008 season. There were no injuries. The Sky Ride suffered a second fire on the night of 21 July 2009, in The Towers section of the park, due to a faulty vending machine. The fire destroyed the station. Over the following season, the station was rebuilt, and was ready for the 2010 season.

Runaway Mine Train

On 20 July 2006, when the train was entering the tunnel section of its course, it split into two halves, leaving the rear part behind with the front part continuing up the hill. The front half of the train did not make it over the slope, rolled back into the tunnel, and collided with the rear half. Six people were taken to hospital, including two women with leg injuries, and 23 others were treated for cuts and bruises. Following the incident, the ride was closed for the remainder of the 2006 season and reopened in April 2007.

The Smiler

On 2 November 2013, four people were injured after being hit by flying guide wheels when they fell off one of the trains. On 2 June 2015, a train with 16 passengers collided at with a stationary test car that had failed part way round the track. Four passengers — two male, two female, aged between 17 and 27 — suffered serious leg injuries and were airlifted to nearby hospitals for treatment. One casualty required amputation of her left leg while a second had to have her right leg amputated. A fifth person with neck and abdominal injuries was also taken to hospital. The theme park was closed until 7 June 2015 pending the completion of the investigation. The incident was investigated by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), and a criminal investigation concluded that the crash was not caused by individual staff error. This accident also caused Spinball Whizzer and three other roller coasters at sister parks Thorpe Park and Chessington World of Adventures to close until safety procedures were evaluated; these rides reopened shortly afterwards. The Smiler reopened on 19 March 2016. Merlin Entertainments pled guilty to a breach of Health and Safety Legislation, and was subsequently fined .

Toxicator

On 15 March 2025, the ride was shut down for roughly 2 hours and 45 minutes on its opening day due to a sewage pipe burst.

Attractiepark Slagharen, Slagharen, Netherlands

El Torito

On 17 May 2009, when the ride was known as "Octopus", a woman and her 7-year-old nephew were injured when the ride was started too early, causing them to be pulled along the ground for a few meters.

Battersea Park Funfair, Wandsworth, London, England

Big Dipper

On 30 May 1972, a train car on the roller coaster started to climb the cable hill when the cable snapped. With no anti-rollback device on this attraction, the train rolled back into the station colliding with the other train. Five children were killed and thirteen others injured. Big Dipper (the park's main attraction) was permanently closed, leading to the funfair's commercial decline and its eventual closure at the end of the 1974 season.

Blackpool Pleasure Beach Resort, Lancashire, England

Avalanche On 28 August 1994, ten people suffered minor injuries when one of the coaster trains collided into another parked at the station. All were treated at a local hospital. In 1997, the train jumped on the brakes, causing it to crash into itself. One boy was taken to hospital with bruised ribs. This incident was shown on the BBC TV documentary about Blackpool Pleasure Beach in 1998.

Big Dipper On 11 August 2009, two trains carrying a total of 32 guests collided, resulting in 21 guests requiring treatment at a nearby hospital for injuries ranging from whiplash and broken noses, to cuts and bruises.

On 23 July 2026, a full train on the Big Dipper coaster stopped mid ride and rolled backwards. In the incident while rolling backwards, The train ripped several wooden beams out of the centre of the track and one car on the train derailed but remained fully upright. The park confirmed that no one was injured following the incident and there would be an investigation. The ride will remain closed until further notice. The park has been criticised for only offering riders on the ride a free meal at Burger King within the attraction.

Big One On 31 August 2000, 23 people were injured, when two trains collided due to a failure of the ride's braking system. On 14 June 2011, a train stopped abruptly, causing minor injuries to its occupants. One person was reported to be hospitalised with whiplash injury.

Derby Racer On 9 August 2023, a small fire broke out in the maintenance bay underneath the attraction. No one was harmed in the fire, and it was quickly extinguished by emergency services.

Grand National In May 2004, due to an electrical fault, the entire ride station, along with parts of two other rides, were completely destroyed by a fire. Firefighters used water from the nearby Valhalla ride to put the fire out. The Grand National's station was rebuilt, and the ride reopened on 28 October 2004 after all repairs were completed. On 24 October 2014, 58-year-old Robert Sycamore broke his neck while riding the Grand National with his 13-year-old nephew. Upon returning to the station, he was slumped in the carriage and rushed to Royal Preston Hospital. After the accident, Sycamore was said to be 'paralysed from the neck down' but it is unclear whether he since made some recovery. It is believed that Sycamore suffered from spondylitis, a spinal condition, but medical professionals are unsure whether this contributed to the accident.

Space Invader 2 On 21 July 2000, 11-year-old Christopher Sherratt died after falling out of a ride vehicle on the Space Invader roller coaster. Reports say that he may have panicked on the dark ride and unfastened his seatbelt. As a result of the accident, the ride was closed and carriages were re-fitted with over-the-shoulder restraints. The ride opened after a short hiatus as Space Invader 2.

Bridlington Bayside Fun Park, Bridlington, England Jungle River Log Flume On 29 August 2011, a 58-year-old woman sustained severe leg injuries when the Jungle River Log Flume became stuck and jolted, throwing her out of the cabin. She was riding with her four-year-old granddaughter when the accident happened. It is believed that the ride stalled as it didn't have enough water in it. The granddaughter was taken to hospital with minor bruising.

Bobbejaanland, Lichtaart, Belgium

Bobby Drop

On 22 March 2008, a 7-year-old child fell out of a boat, after standing up during the ride and colliding with another boat. He was taken to the first aid station. The attraction remained open.

Botton's Amusement Park, Skegness, England Surf Rider On 30 August 2011 at 3:15pm, emergency services were called to the ride - an A.R.M - Amusement Refurbishment & Manufacture Ali Baba - after reports that the arm collapsed. Firefighters used ropes and ladders to rescue the 22 passengers who had become lodged at a 90 degree angle. Seven passengers were injured and taken to hospital, including one woman with life-threatening head injuries. It was reported that the ride had maintenance done in the previous few days, and insufficient oil levels in the gearboxes contributed to the accident. Pleasure Beach Amusement Parks was fined £8000 due to breaching the Health and Safety at Work Act and were also made to pay £8000 of costs. Surf Rider was removed and now travels around the London area as 'Ali Baba'.

Brighton Palace Pier, Brighton, East Sussex, England

Air Race On 8 April 2019, a teenage boy got a leg injury from being hit by a piece of the ride that came loose.

Camelot Theme Park, Lancashire, England

Excalibur 2 On 23 August 2011, a 12-year-old boy fell from the ride. Witnesses say the boy clung to the ride until he fell .

The Gauntlet On 22 October 2001, 59-year-old employee Harry Mathews was killed as he was struck by an oncoming train while performing maintenance on the ride following an issue earlier in the day. Mathews suffered severe injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene by medical professionals. Prime Resorts Limited was fined £40,000 and ordered to pay £20,000 costs, after a court decided the death was caused by fundamental management errors.

Chessington World of Adventures, London, England

Tomb Blaster

On 7 June 2012, a 4-year-old girl fell from an elevated walkway used as the queue for the Tomb Blaster attraction. She suffered broken ribs, a cracked skull, and brain hemorrhage after falling through a hole in the wooden fencing. Chessington World of Adventures Operations Ltd. pled guilty to Health and Safety offences and was fined as a result of the fall. Operator Merlin Entertainments apologised and said that it had since spent millions on remedial work across the park to ensure something similar could never occur again. One improvement involved adding a steel rail fence to the Tomb Blaster queue.

Coney Beach Pleasure Park, Porthcawl, Wales

Water Chute On 1 April 1994, a 9-year-old boy was killed after being flung off the 58-year-old "Water Chute" ride when a steel hoop collapsed in wet and windy conditions and fell onto the open-topped carriage in which he was travelling. Five others in the same carriage were treated for injuries, including his father and brother, who sustained severe face, chest and shoulder injuries.

Drayton Manor Resort, Staffordshire, England

Maelstrom On 3 August 2012, a 42-year-old woman collapsed and died of a heart attack after exiting the Maelstrom ride. It has been stated that the woman was on a day out with her 14-year-old daughter, who later posted on Facebook "RIP Momma, I love you".

Splash Canyon On 9 May 2017, an 11-year-old girl on a school trip fell out of a raft on the Splash Canyon Rapids after it hit a bumper while she was standing up, knocking her into the water. She then climbed an 'algae-covered travelator' before slipping and falling into a deeper pool of water where she drowned. The girl was airlifted to Birmingham Children's Hospital, but was proclaimed dead from her drowning soon after arrival.name="Regulation 28 as result of death of Evha Jannath"> As a result of this accident, Merlin Parks closed three rapids rides - Congo River Rapids, Rumba Rapids and Vikings' River Splash, while Splash Canyon underwent investigation. The ride remained closed until summer 2021. The ride reopened in 2021 after increasing its height restriction from and barring those under the age of 14 from riding without a responsible person above the age of 16.

Dreamland Margate, Margate, Kent, England

Scenic Railway