Both girls were under 13 years old, authorities said.
NEW ROADS, La. — Two girls, both under 13 years old, were thrown from a Ferris Wheel ride at the Harvest Festival in New Roads, Louisiana on Saturday.
Witnesses tell local news stations the Ferris Wheel bucket tipped over around noon Nov. 1, dumping both girls out onto the platform of the ride.
Eddie Jones was waiting in line when he watched it happen.
“I heard a girl scream. I looked over, and the Ferris wheel car was kicked over,” he told FOX10 news. “I don’t know how it got in that position, but it was stuck,” Jones said. “Yeah, I’ll probably never get on another Ferris wheel.”
It’s unclear what caused the bucket to tip over mid ride, but video posted online shows it tilted at a 90 degree angle. It’s also unclear how high the girls were dropped from or what their current conditions are.
Both girls were both taken to the hospital, one by air and the other by ambulance, Pointe Coupée Parish Sheriff Rene Thibodeaux told ABC News.
All rides at the festival were briefly closed for inspection by the Louisiana State Fire Marshal’s Office, according to WAFB. All rides have since reopened except for the Ferris Wheel and a slide beside it while they continue to investigate.
Amusement park injuries are not unheard of, but are usually pretty rare. A 2019 study reported there were roughly 3.7 injuries per 1 million amusement park visitors in the United States.
That same report said 29% of injuries were soft-tissue injuries and 28% were neck and head injuries.