Holiday World to open new water coaster

SANTA CLAUS, Ind. (AP) - A southern Indiana amusement park has its new water coaster featuring a five-story-high first drop ready for riders.

Officials at Holiday World & Splashin' Safari showed off the $9 million ride called Mammoth on Thursday, with it opening to the public this weekend. The new ride at the park in Santa Claus has riders in six-person circular tubes for the three-minute trip that has seven total drops.

The Mammoth is near the park's Wildebeest water coaster that opened two years ago.

The park about 35 miles east of Evansville has drawn more than 1 million visitors during recent summer seasons.