It’s midge season in Ohio, and Cedar Point visitors are learning the hard way what happens when a roller coaster sends them flying through a swarm of insects at 120 mph.
And it’s not pretty.
Reddit user Jakewist4 recently transformed into a human windshield while riding in the front row of Top Thrill 2. The user posted a video to the Cedar Point subreddit showing two people with their faces, hands, arms, and clothes covered in insects after their ride.
“I literally thought something might have broke because I just got slammed in my whole body by bugs,” according to a user on Reddit.
Midges swarming around Lake Erie
According to the Canton Repository, midges, a tiny species of fly, spend the majority of their lives underwater and emerge as adults when the water temperature reaches 60 degrees.
They then swarm, covering buildings and creating clouds in the sky that can be seen on weather radar.
The insects resemble mosquitos, but the midges emerging from Lake Erie do not bite.
Adult midges only live for a few days to a few weeks, but the season lasts until September and peaks in the summer when temperatures are hot and humid.
Top Thrill 2 at Cedar Point sends riders into swarms of midges
Cedar Point is situated on a peninsula jutting out into Lake Erie, making it an ideal location for midges to swarm.
And commenters on the Reddit post say it’s a common issue with all roller coasters.
“This reminds me of riding the Millennium Force front seat at night (June/July) many years ago and being completely covered in gnats and bugs by the end of the ride. “Never again,” says one commenter.
Jakewist4 writes that for the time being, they intend to remain in the back row.
