On Thursday, October 24th, five North Carolina State Fair attendees were hurt when a pendulum-swing thrill ride, called the Vortex, suddenly jolted back into motion after it had stopped and as riders were getting off, according to official reports and statements from several witnesses. Two of the injured riders were seriously hurt and had to be transported by ambulances to nearby hospitals.
Authorities stated that preliminary information was inconclusive and further investigation was necessary in order to determine exactly what went wrong. Investigators had been interviewing witnesses and looking for any captured video footage of the incident. Officials also noted that the Vortex had passed its previous inspections and had been serviced regularly in accordance with strict maintenance protocol.
The Vortex was closed through the rest of the weekend, but the rest of the state fair remained open. The North Carolina state agriculture commissioner issued a statement in an effort to reassure fair-goers by stating:
“…he was so confident in the safety of the other rides that he would allow his own grandchildren to get on.”
Witnesses Recount a Frightening Scenario
The Vortex is a pendulum style ride that spins and twirls riders and flips them upside-down. Caleb Norris, another Vortex rider fortunate enough to escape injury, told local CBS news affiliates that he had just stepped off the ride on Thursday night when he heard a crashing sound. Norris explained how he turned around and saw two people face-down and then saw the ride operator fall to his knees, crying frantically.
Another witness, Richard Gephart, told local reporters:
“It just sounded like a bunch of stuff hitting metal. And that was it. There was no screaming.”
Tom Chambers, an inspector with the North Carolina State Labor Department, explained that the ride had been briefly shut down earlier that week on Monday night due to a malfunctioning switch, part of the mechanism that locks riders into their seats. Chambers further noted that the malfunctioning switch was repaired; the ride was subjected to another safety inspection, and was subsequently cleared to resume operation. However, the locking device is not likely related to any particular malfunction which could’ve abruptly launched the stopped ride back into motion.
The two injured riders who were taken to nearby hospitals were treated for serious, non-life threatening injuries and were released from the hospital early the next day. The other three suffered only minor injuries and were treated by paramedics at the scene and then released.
NC Enforces Strict Amusement Park Ride Regulations
Back in July, a similar NBC News report stated that at least 17 states do not regulate amusement park rides. However, the state of North Carolina is not one of them – they do inspect all rides. A spokeswoman for the North Carolina State Labor Department told local reporters that the Vortex, and all of its other thrill rides, are individually inspected for safety a minimum of three times per day during the annual fair.
No further information was provided. It is not presently known whether an error by the ride operator or a defect in the ride’s controls caused it to suddenly spring back into motion.
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