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The Man Who Fell Into The Jaws: 5 Terrifying Facts About The 1990 Universal Ride Incident

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The 1990 Jaws ride incident at Universal Studios Florida remains one of the most infamous and terrifying mishaps in theme park history, a dark chapter that unfolded shortly after the park's much-hyped grand opening. As of December 2025, new analyses and historical deep dives continue to bring fresh attention to the terrifying experience of one guest, Anthony Salamone, whose vacation took a nightmarish turn, forcing him into a close encounter with the attraction's notoriously unreliable mechanical shark, a moment that perfectly encapsulated the ride's disastrous debut. The incident, which occurred in July 1990, was more than just a simple ride breakdown; it was a dramatic safety failure that exposed the deep mechanical flaws plaguing the original multi-million dollar attraction. This single event became a key footnote in the story of Universal Studios Florida's chaotic opening year, leading to a complete shutdown and costly redesign of the *Jaws* attraction, which was intended to be one of the park's signature experiences.

The Anatomy of a Theme Park Nightmare: Anthony Salamone’s Ordeal

The centerpiece of this chilling story is the guest who experienced the malfunction firsthand, a man whose name is forever linked to the attraction’s failure. * Name: Anthony Salamone * Age at Incident: 39 * Hometown: New Jersey * Occupation: Bank Officer (on vacation) * Date of Incident: July 1990 * Location: *Jaws* Attraction, Amity Island, Universal Studios Florida * Cause of Incident: Allegedly broken boat railing * Immediate Consequence: Fell into the ride's lagoon, coming face-to-face with the underwater mechanical shark * Subsequent Action: Filed a lawsuit against Universal Studios Florida * Reported Injuries: No serious physical injuries were widely reported, but the psychological trauma was significant. Salamone's experience was a stark realization of the park's slogan, "Ride the Movies," but in the most terrifying way possible. Instead of enjoying a thrilling, controlled experience, he was plunged into the murky, 10-foot-deep waters of the Amity harbor, surrounded by the massive, submerged mechanical apparatus of the shark.

The Moment the Railing Broke

The incident took place while Salamone was aboard one of the attraction's tour boats, navigating the waters of the fictional Amity Island. According to reports, a railing on the boat gave way, causing the New Jersey bank officer to fall directly into the lagoon. The water was deep, dark, and filled with the very mechanisms designed to bring the movie monster to life. This was not a planned stunt or a momentary splash. This was a direct breach of passenger safety, leading to a frantic situation where a guest was swimming for his life in an area specifically designed to be menacing and inaccessible. The sheer terror of being in the water with the looming, submerged shark models—known as "Bruce" to the ride's engineers—is an element that continues to fuel the story's notoriety.

The Context: Jaws and the Universal Studios Florida Opening Disaster

The terrifying fall of Anthony Salamone was not an isolated event; it was a symptom of a much larger, systemic failure that plagued the entire *Jaws* attraction and, by extension, the opening of Universal Studios Florida in the summer of 1990. The park's debut was famously chaotic. Technical issues were rampant across multiple major attractions, but *Jaws* was undoubtedly the worst offender. The ride, a highly ambitious project involving massive, complex hydraulic and pneumatic systems submerged in water, simply did not work reliably.

A Flawed Design from Day One

The core of the problem lay in the original design and construction. Universal Studios Florida had contracted the ride's creation to Ride & Show Engineering, a company that struggled immensely with the complexity of the project. * Non-Waterproof Parts: A major claim in the subsequent legal battles was that the contractor had placed non-waterproof parts underwater, leading to constant short-circuits, corrosion, and mechanical breakdowns. * Constant Breakdowns: The massive, 3-ton mechanical sharks were designed to lunge, bite, and cause explosions, but they frequently failed to operate, often stopping mid-show or sinking entirely. * The Lawsuit: Universal eventually sued Ride & Show Engineering over the failures, highlighting the catastrophic mechanical errors that made the ride unsafe and unreliable. The park’s initial slogan, "Ride the Movies," quickly became a punchline, as guests were often left stranded on broken boats in the middle of the lagoon, staring at a stationary, non-functioning shark. The Salamone incident, however, elevated the problem from mere inconvenience to a serious safety hazard.

The Aftermath: Shutdown, Rebuild, and Lasting Legacy

The sheer number of breakdowns and the high-profile nature of the Anthony Salamone incident forced Universal's hand. In August 1990, just two months after the park's official opening, the *Jaws* attraction was officially closed.

Total Scrapping and Redesign

The closure was not for minor repairs; it was a decision to scrap the entire original attraction and rebuild it from the ground up. This monumental task involved draining the entire lagoon, removing the flawed infrastructure, and completely redesigning the ride's mechanics and show elements. * The New Ride: The rebuilt version, often referred to as *Jaws 2.0*, opened in 1993, featuring a completely new system and a different ride path. It was a testament to Universal's commitment to salvaging the core concept, which was a vital part of the Amity Island experience. * Safety Improvements: The redesign focused heavily on reliability and guest safety, ensuring that the structural integrity of the boats and the mechanical operation of the sharks were robust enough to prevent any recurrence of the 1990 incident.

The Enduring Legacy of the Incident

The 1990 *Jaws* incident has cemented its place in theme park lore, not just as a cautionary tale about ambitious engineering but as a dramatic moment of real-life terror. The story of Anthony Salamone has been the subject of numerous historical and documentary breakdowns in recent years, proving its lasting grip on the public imagination. The original *Jaws* ride, even in its rebuilt form, continued to operate until 2012, when it was finally retired to make way for the Wizarding World of Harry Potter—Diagon Alley. However, the memory of the summer of 1990, when a guest literally fell into the deep end of a Hollywood nightmare, remains an unforgettable part of the park's history. The incident serves as a powerful reminder of the fine line between thrilling special effects and genuine danger in the world of massive amusement park attractions.
The Man Who Fell Into the Jaws: 5 Terrifying Facts About the 1990 Universal Ride Incident
1990 jaws ride incident
1990 jaws ride incident

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