Williamsburg, VA - March 30, 1999 -- Supermodel Fabio suffered a one-inch cut on his nose after a bird hit him while riding the new Apollo's Chariot roller coaster at Busch Gardens Williamsburg.
Fabio was present at the park's media event to help promote the new roller coaster. Unfortunately, for the park the timing could not have been worse.
According to a witness the bird hit Fabio during the plummet down the first drop of 210 feet at speeds of up to 73 mph. Fabio returned to the station with blood all around his nose.
Fabio was taken from the park to the Williamsburg Community Hospital where he was treated and released for a minor cut.
Following the incident Busch Gardens Williamsburg spokeswoman Deborah L. DeMarco commented, "He's fine, no serious injuries."
Fabio declined to talk after the incident and instead opted to return to Los Angeles missing the evening media event.
As for the bird he did not fair so well. According to one park guest a dead goose could be seen floating in the river below the drop where Fabio was supposedly hit.
Despite the mishap, park officials kept the ride open after only a 15-minute downtime. Park officials described the incident as an unpredictable freak accident that has never occurred before at the park.
