In the early 1980s, John Harter was the classic athletic, popular kid at his high school in Delaware, Ohio—a relatively small town just outside the state capital. But unlike the typical stereotype of high school jocks as arrogant bullies, John was none of those things. He was incredibly friendly, warm-hearted, and seemed to get along with everyone. He was also known for his great sense of humor, often pulling harmless pranks just to make people smile—like the time he enthusiastically joined the cheerleaders during a pep rally, even though he wasn’t one of them.
John was set to graduate from high school on June 5, 1983. His plan was to attend Kent State University the following year to study accounting.
Grad Night at Kings Island
A few weeks before graduation, John’s high school began selling tickets for a “Grad Night” at Kings Island—a massive amusement park located about two hours west of Delaware. For these special events, the park would shut down to the general public and only allow entry to students with valid grad night tickets.
John, who was 17 at the time, was excited about the idea and bought a ticket along with about 20 other students. On Friday, May 13, at around 3:30 p.m., the group met outside their high school. Although it was a school-sponsored trip, students had to drive themselves. After a few stops for food and bathrooms, they arrived at the park around 7:00 p.m.
During the ride, John—who was a passenger—had consumed a significant amount of alcohol: half a bottle of rum and roughly three to six beers. By the time they arrived, he could barely stand.
Trouble Begins
Despite the exclusive nature of the event, the park was still quite crowded. Once inside, the students split into smaller groups. John’s group included his girlfriend, Pam. Unfortunately, for the first hour, the two bickered non-stop. Onlookers later said John seemed visibly upset, emotional, and very drunk.
By 8:30 p.m., while waiting in line for a roller coaster, John began saying things like, “I don’t want to be here anymore. I just want to go home.” His friends assumed he was just trying to guilt Pam, so they encouraged him to calm down and enjoy the ride. But it was clear John was too worked up to have fun.
The group boarded the ride around 9:00 p.m., and afterward, they disembarked to regroup—only to find that John was missing.
A Mysterious Disappearance
At first, they assumed John had wandered off to cool down and would reconnect later. But hours passed. When the park announced its closure over the loudspeakers, the group headed to the parking lot, expecting to find John waiting. He wasn’t there.
Panic set in. They spoke to other students, but no one had seen him. They waited outside the park gates, hoping he’d appear. Instead, the lights in the park started shutting down, and a security guard came out to lock the front gate. That’s when they realized something was terribly wrong.
What Really Happened
After an extensive police investigation, this is the best understanding of what occurred:
After getting off the roller coaster around 9:00 p.m., John slipped away from his group and wandered toward the replica Eiffel Tower—a well-known attraction at Kings Island. The structure, an exact one-third scale model of the real Eiffel Tower, stood at 300 feet tall.
Back then, there were three elevators that carried guests to two observation decks: one at 50 feet and another at 275 feet. Although elevators were the primary way to reach the platforms, there were also stairs going all the way up the middle of the tower. Guests were allowed to use the stairs up to the 50-foot level, but a locked gate prevented access to higher levels—only staff with keys could go beyond.
John didn’t take the elevator. He climbed the stairs, reached the 50-foot gate, and then climbed over it—clearly disregarding the rules. He continued up the stairwell until he reached just below the 275-foot level.
There, he climbed over the stairwell railing and stepped onto a narrow support beam, walking across it toward the center of the structure where the three elevator shafts were located. With no safety rails or nets, one wrong step meant certain death.
John made it to the center of the tower and stood on the edge of the elevator shaft, peering down. At that moment, one of the elevator cars began moving—descending away from him. That car wasn’t the danger. Its counterweight was.
The Fatal Moment
Elevators like this operate on a pulley system. A heavy counterweight balances the elevator, moving in the opposite direction—when the car goes down, the counterweight goes up, and vice versa.
As John leaned over the shaft, the ascending counterweight struck him with immense force. It’s believed he was impaled and tangled in exposed wires on the weight itself.
The elevator operator inside the descending car felt a jolt but didn’t know what caused it. Concerned, he completed the ride down, let the guests out, and then took the car back up empty to test it.
When he reached about 60 feet, he heard a violent thud on the roof of the elevator—and blood began pouring over the windows.
John, likely trying desperately to free himself from the counterweight, had been carried up the shaft. When the elevator reversed and the counterweight moved down, John’s body must have struck a beam, dislodging him. He fell nearly 200 feet, landing on the roof of the elevator car, dying instantly.
Aftermath
The park quickly blocked off the area and alerted police. Only a few guests and employees knew anything had happened—and even fewer knew it had been fatal.
Because John had no ID on him, the police couldn’t immediately identify the body. That night, as his friends still waited for him in the parking lot, they finally approached a security guard and explained the situation. The guard told them there had been an accident and a body was found, but it hadn’t yet been identified.
John’s friends went to the hospital—and confirmed it was him.
Why Did John Do It?
To this day, no one knows for certain why John did what he did. Some say he was just very drunk and made a tragic mistake. Others speculate he was suicidal—but those close to him strongly deny that. Some suggest John, who loved attention and humor, may have been attempting a risky stunt that went too far.
Regardless of the reason, what’s clear is that John entered an area clearly marked as off-limits—and it cost him his life.