PIGEON FORGE, Tenn. (WATE) — Dollywood was cited after an employee was injured in March 2025 ahead of the park’s opening.

The Tennessee Occupational Safety and Health Administration (TOSHA) carried out an inspection at the site to investigate the details surrounding an incident that resulted in an injury in March 2025. After their review, Herschend Family Entertainment Corporation, the proprietors of Dollywood, was fined $6,400.

According to TOSHA’s report, the incident occurred at 10 a.m. on March 10 when an employee was working on adjusting a belt on the Smoky Mountain River Rampage lift. While passing a tool to a colleague, his jacket got caught in a coupling, causing his left arm to become entangled. The injured employee was subsequently airlifted from the park to a hospital.

The TOSHA findings highlighted two significant safety breaches in the motor-driven boat lift on the Smoky Mountain River Rampage ride. The lift includes two conveyor belts and two head pulleys linked by an unguarded rotating shaft and coupling. The report noted that guarding the rotating shaft was feasible without disrupting the ride’s function.

The first violations list that the pulleys, which create ingoing nip points, on the boat lift were not guarded properly. The second violation involves the shaft couplings. According to the report, the couplings were not built to prevent hazards from bolts, nuts, setscrews, or revolving surfaces. TOSHA explained that employees must perform tasks within a foot of lifts while the mechanism is in motion, creating the opportunity for injury if not properly guarded.

Each violation carried a fine of $3,200, and the company was required to correct the violations by June 30. A spokesperson for Dollywood told 6 News that “the incident has been settled.”