Amusement parks are known for their wild rides that make passengers feel as if their lives are in danger, but the rides are only fun if it is made very clear that there is no real threat to the help and safety of those visiting the park. At a Florida amusement park, one ride flipped and plummeted to the ground in an apparent malfunction in a caught-on-camera moment on February 17.
The incident occurred at the Florida State Fair, according to Fox News when the ride stopped without warning with passengers on board. The only thing keeping the riders in their seats in the momentum created by the constant fast motion of the ride, so when it stopped spinning, all bets were out the window as to what would happen to its riders.
In the video, the ride named “Enterprise” was seen slowly spinning as riders were thrashed around the pods that are meant to contain them. The video was shared to Facebook by Brandi Freymuller, who said this in a reflection about the incident, shared by FOX 13:
“I was originally live on TikTok, but I had to stop it, because I was afraid of one of the kids falling out. There’s no seat belt, no harnesses…the ride is meant to keep you on with gravity, because there’s nothing keeping them in the car. We thought they were going to fall out,”
A statement was also made by the owner of Wade Show and Midway Manager at the Florida State Fair Frank Zaitshik, saying:
“Late this afternoon, the Enterprise was operating, and the safety mechanisms were activated, which caused the ride to shut down as designed. We swiftly began exiting guests from the ride, in the most safe and timely manner. All safety and emergency protocols were followed. A thorough inspection will be conducted into what triggered the safety mechanisms. Out of an abundance of caution, the ride will remain closed for the remainder of the Fair.”
According to a spokesperson, the accident caused no injuries despite the apparent danger and chaos of the situation.
Another Facebook user who was aboard the “Enterprise” at the time of malfunction posted about her dangerous and terrifying experience as she waited for rescue:
“Thanking God my friend and I made it home safely tonight. Florida state fair was an absolute nightmare. It’s hard to explain the feeling of fear that took over us today. The ride pictured malfunctioned on us, leaving us stuck in midair upside down, no seat belts with gaps big enough to lose grip and fall. We were hanging on for dear life to the bars as they got us down, without knowing what was to come. I truly can’t describe how it felt to see your life flash before your eyes. God was definitely with us. I’m definitely holding my baby closer tonight.”
Its a great thing that she and the other riders appear to have made it out safely, but this will surely give many people second thoughts before hopping aboard rides at these pop-up fairs and carnivals in the future.
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