Lightning strike temporarily closes Lighthouse Tower
Lighthouse Tower suffered control-system damage after a lightning strike at Holiday Park. The ride was already closed because of the thunderstorm and remained out of service afterward.
More context
In August 2023, Lighthouse Tower was hit by an unusual weather-related incident. During a thunderstorm, lightning struck near the tall swing ride at Holiday Park, now Plopsaland Deutschland, at around 1 p.m. According to the park, the control system was damaged. The attraction was already closed to guests at the time, as were the other outdoor rides, so no one was on board.
For visitors, the strike mainly created uncertainty about when the ride would return. Plopsa contacted Funtime, the Austrian manufacturer of Lighthouse Tower, to assess and resolve the damage. Until then, the attraction remained out of service. The park directed guests to its app and website for the latest status information.
The news illustrates why a ride such as Lighthouse Tower is both spectacular and vulnerable. At roughly eighty metres high, the swing ride is a defining part of the park’s skyline, but that same height makes weather safety and technical monitoring especially important. The incident was more than a routine breakdown: it was a clear example of how weather, engineering and visitor planning can intersect.