Ride topples and injures 6 people during July Fourth carnival, Washington officials say
Six people were injured when a carnival swing ride toppled over, Washington city officials said.
The incident happened July 3 at the Independence Day carnival in Oak Harbor, city officials said in a Facebook post.
Officials said the riders were treated on scene for minor injuries.
They had been on the Cyclone “Mini YoYo,” a spokesperson for the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries told McClatchy News on July 5.
“It made this weird noise when we were waiting, and I told my mom ‘Oh, that sounded dangerous,’” Kevin Williams, a child who had been on the ride the day before, told KING.
The ride was shut down and inspections were planned for the following day, officials said.
Additionally, the carnival shut down for the rest of the evening.
“Ensuring the safety of our residents and visitors is our top priority,” Mayor Ronnie Wright said in an updated release. “After careful deliberation and consultation with law enforcement and city officials, it became that this was the best course of action to protect our community.”
The event reopened for the Fourth of July, however, all mechanical rides were closed off, officials said. Other games, vendors and entertainment continued as planned, including the Whidbey Wags Pet Parade.
After “thorough inspection and rigorous safety checks,” some amusement rides reopened July 5, according to the Oak Harbor Chamber of Commerce.
The third-party inspection was conducted by S.A. Consulting Services, LLC.
Rides operated without permit
During the inspection, officials learned the swing ride had been inspected before the incident, the labor agency said. But Paradise Amusements — the company behind the rides — had not filed for a permit until after the ride had been operating, officials said.
The swing ride is being inspected the week of July 8, a Labor & Industries spokesperson said. The agency didn’t have a report of it reopening for Independence Day festivities.
Two other rides were also operating before permits were granted, officials said — the Octopus and the Hampton Tubs of Fun.
The labor agency sent operating permits to the company for those two rides, but “we have no report the rides opened.”
Now, Labor & Industries is investigating “whether to issue a citation for operating without a permit.”
The carnival went from June 28 to July 7.
Refunds will be issued for any unused Independence Day Celebration presale wristbands, the Oak Harbor Chamber of Commerce said.
How do I know if a ride is safe?
In Washington, amusement rides are required to be inspected by third-party safety inspectors every year, according to the state labor agency.
But even with inspections, “there is no fail-safe way to know if a ride is safe. You ride at your own risk,” officials said.
Riders can check to see if a ride has been inspected by looking for an L&I-issued sticker, officials said.
They can also watch to see how a ride is being operated by seeing if safety restraints are properly being used, if the operator is paying attention and if they are enforcing rider size restrictions, the labor department said.
“Ask yourself whether you feel comfortable having you or your child ride the ride,” officials said.
This story was originally published July 5, 2024 at 5:16 PM with the headline "Ride topples and injures 6 people during July Fourth carnival, Washington officials say."
