Three people are in the hospital after falling from a ride at the North Caroline Fairgrounds this week.
According to an article on Yahoo News, five people were taken to a nearby hospital. Two were released, two remain are in good condition and one is in critical condition. The accident occurred when the ride named the “Vortex” started up again as passengers were getting off the ride. Bystanders described the scene by saying “There were actually some people that were still, I think, strapped in and holding on, really hanging on for their lives.”
The accident is under investigation by fair officials and officials from the Department of Labor. Earlier in the week a problem a switch had been fixed on the ride, which is described as a pendulum ride that flips passengers upside down as it heads toward the sky.
The Associated Press reported that the same ride killed the ride operator in 2002 at the fair when he was struck by the ride while it was in operation.
According to the North Caroline Department of Labor, the ride is to be inspected 3 times a day during the fair.