Fatal Errors

Two scavengers make off with unattended equipment from an abandoned radiotherapy center. Little do they suspect that their prize contains a radioactive isotope that, in the days to come, will end up exposed to over 100,000 people...

In part 2 of the Owen Hart story, we interview an eyewitness to his fatal fall. We also discuss the aftermath: Martha Hart's lawsuit against the World Wrestling Federation, and Owen Hart's legacy. Wrestling was an unsafe business at the time of Owen's accident. 20 years on, has anything changed?

Pro wrestling shares elements with Hollywood, with live sports, and with traveling circuses, but you would be hard-pressed to find another enterprise that routinely matched the World Wrestling Federation’s blend of spectacle and craftsmanship. They were the best at what they did. And yet, on May 23, 1999, during a live broadcast, one of their performers died in the ring. 

How could this have happened?

Like most safety innovations, the crash bar wasn’t born from foresight. Its inventor didn’t deduce that its widespread use would save countless lives in the century-plus since its creation using reason and logic. Rather, his inspiration came at a terrible cost. The price that humanity would pay for this knowledge was the lives of 183 children. This is the story of the Victoria Hall disaster.

We all love a good scare. Where better to scream yourself silly than an amusement park? For visitors to Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson Township, New Jersey, one night the horror became all too real. This is the story of the Haunted Castle fire.

Join me, Mitch Krpata, for Fatal Errors, the podcast about manmade disasters. Each episode is a deep dive into a tragedy that could have been avoided, if only someone had known or cared enough to stop it. Episode one premieres soon.