A mother reported to officials that a ride at the Manatee County Fair injured her after she slid out from underneath the safety bar. News Channel 8 hast the story.
The mother and her 10-year-old nephew were riding the Ring of Fire when she slipped out. She was stopped by a plexiglass shield at the front of the ride, but her condition was unnoticed by the ride operator. However, witnesses outside of the ride saw the fall and heard the screams. One of them tried to get the operator to stop the ride, then went to get help from the fair operators.
After she was freed, she went to the hospital. Doctors believe she may have damaged her sciatic nerve and she felt sore all over. The news channel tried to reach out for comment to the ride’s owners, but have not received a response.
The fair manager says that state officials inspected the ride twice and found no problems with it prior to the incident. The last inspection was two days ago. Officials are performing a followup investigation.
The owners of the ride have had a remarkable safety record. Only three people have gone to the hospital on one of their rides in 29 years.