GALVESTON, Texas — Our VERIFY team is looking into a photo that has been making its rounds on social media.
THE PHOTO
A viewer named Lee emailed us a picture of the Iron Shark ride on Galveston Pleasure Pier, saying it looked damaged.
The question we want to answer, is the photo real?
THE SOURCES
- Texas Department of Insurance, which regulates the inspection of amusement park rides
- Landry's, Inc., which operates the Galveston Island Historic Pleasure Pier
THE ANSWER
WHAT WE FOUND
We can verify the picture taken is a photo of Pleasure Pier's Iron Shark ride, but the rust and chipped paint shown on the picture Lee emailed to us have already been repaired.
Keith Beitler, executive vice president and chief operating officer of Landry's, told us, “Given the attractions are located on the beachfront, they undergo routine maintenance. We were aware of paint chipping and rust on this beachfront ride and had already repaired it before the subject image was posted."
We also reached out to the Department of Insurance to learn about the ride's inspection records. They told us, “The ride, the Iron Shark is in compliance through August 31, 2023, and that means they have insurance on the ride, and they have been inspected in the past year.”
So how does it look now? Landry's shared a photo, showing fresh paint and no sign of rust or other damage.
When we asked if the ride was safe, Landry's responded, “Yes, it is safe.”
So, we can VERIFY that the viral photo of the Iron Shark ride is real and the ride did recently have rust and chipped paint repaired.