Fair ride breaks, bangs up 3 small children, Ohio family says. ‘Our worst nightmare’
Three children received minor scrapes and bruises after a fair ride became detached and fell 18 inches to the ground, officials in Ohio said.
A family member said “one of our worst nightmares happened,” on a Facebook post.
The three young children climbed onto a jet ski simulation ride at the Summit City Fairgrounds in Tallmadge, Ohio, on Friday, July 29, fairground officials said in a statement. The ride is designed for children under 10 years of age.
A photograph taken before the ride shows the children strapped in, smiling and excited.
Mid-ride, the children’s jet ski car “snapped” off and hit the ground, landing on top of the strapped-in children, the family member said.
“They were screaming and crying in fear,” the family member said on her Facebook post.
The Tallmadge Fire Department arrived quickly, the family member said.
“I don’t think any of them will want to ride any rides for a very long time, if ever,” the family member posted. “We were told that the rides were all inspected the day before. I think this just shows how dangerous and unsafe these old fair rides are.”
In a statement on Saturday, fairground officials said, “We have a long history of safe operation and all rides had been inspected by the State of Ohio prior to the beginning of our fair. This ride was immediately taken out of service and the state inspection bureau contacted.”
The ride’s operators, Lisko Family Midway Amusements, repaired the damaged car and the remaining cars to ensure the safety of the ride, fairground officials said.
In a statement to McClatchy News, the Ohio Department of Agriculture confirmed that it was informed of the incident. The agency also said Lisko Family Midway Amusements “followed up by providing documentation that the ride was repaired by a certified welder” and the ride will be inspected again at its next location.
The Summit County Fair ended Sunday, The Beacon Journal reported.
Lisko Family Midway Amusements did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Tallmadge is about 5 miles northeast of Akron.
This story was originally published August 2, 2022 at 12:54 PM with the headline "Fair ride breaks, bangs up 3 small children, Ohio family says. ‘Our worst nightmare’."
