Sudden wind gust leaves festival worker clinging to ride in midair, Texas officials say

A festival worker was left clinging to the bottom of a ride after a sudden gust of wind lifted the compartment into the air, Texas video shows.

The incident happened at about 4:30 p.m. Oct. 15, at the Groves Pecan Festival, Groves City Marshal Norman Reynolds told KFDM.

Video taken at the festival shows a ride operator hanging from a red metal compartment, hoisted 30 feet straight into the air. People can be heard screaming nearby.

Reynolds was right by the ride when it happened, he told KPNX. He said the worker was assisting a child when strong winds blew in, pushing the car 180 degrees skyward and taking the worker with it.

Riders exited the car on the ground, and the worker was eventually lowered down safely, Reynolds told the station.

Nobody was injured, but the ride was closed for the rest of the day, KFDM reported.

Groves is roughly 85 miles east of Houston.

This story was originally published October 16, 2023 at 12:11 PM with the headline "Sudden wind gust leaves festival worker clinging to ride in midair, Texas officials say."