A Pasco County mom had a big fright last weekend when her son almost flew off a ride at The Arnold Midway set up in the Wiregrass mall parking lot.
Her son was on the Orbiter when she noticed something was not right. She noticed her child slipping and about to fly out of the ride. She ran over to the operator who stopped the ride before the child was harmed.
The ride remained open after he got off. A sticker on the side shows it passed it’s October 24 inspection by the Department of Agriculture aside from placing cart #10 out of service because of a cracked lap bar.
There have been reports in the past on people flying off of this specific ride.
If you suspect an issue with a fair ride, you can report it to the Department of Agriculture at 1-800-HELP-FLA or FloridaConsumerHelp.com.
Carnival and amusement park rides can and do happen. The Federal Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) shows the following stats:
- In 2004, carnival rides sent 2,500 people to hospital emergency rooms.
- In 2006 approximately 8,800 people were injured on amusement park rides.
- From 1987 to 2000, 51 people were killed on amusement park rides. Roller coasters accounted for 16 deaths and whirling rides accounted for 11 deaths.
- Children represent about one half of those injured by amusement park rides.
- Kids between 10 and 14 years old sustain the most injuries of any age group.
- Children are victims in 75% of accidents involving rider falls or forceful ejection from the ride.
Amusement parks and carnivals can be so much fun for young children. Families flock to these amusement parks for adventure, excitement and fun. However, not all rides are truly safe and not all ride operators are trained properly or paying careful attention. Amusement park ride safety is especially important for children, who represent half of those injured or killed in amusement park ride accidents.
Our Florida Amusement Park Injury Attorneys at Whittel & Melton have the experience and resources needed to handle your child’s injury case. If your child has been the victim of a serious carnival or amusement park injury, call us today at 727-847-2299 or contact us online for a free consultation.