Horrifying pictures show the moment a free-fall ride at an amusement park started moving while an unrestrained child was on it.
The heart-stopping moment took place at the Sydney Royal Easter Show where the Kids Carnival was interrupted after a 4-year-old boy with autism was left unrestrained on the Free Fall ride.
According to the reports, the ride began moving and was just seconds away from reaching the top and plunging to the ground.
Meanwhile, shocked onlookers yelled and screamed at the staff to stop the ride before it was too late.
Among the onlookers was also Sky Boustani Curtis, the boy’s mother, who watched in horror as her unrestrained son was being lifted off the ground.
“The girl stopped the ride but didn’t get out of her booth so another father ended up getting him to climb down to him,” the mother said as she recalled the operator’s reaction in an interview with Daily Telegraph.
The distressed mom went on to insist that the staff failed to secure her son’s harness or check on him before starting the ride.
“Myself and my husband were not tall enough to reach him. They simply did not pull his harness down, didn’t check him,” she added.
According to another witness, the operator responsible for managing the ride had no clue that the 4-year-old was left unrestrained.
“They hit emergency stop but it seems like the operator couldn’t bring the ride down and someone actually had to go up there and have his son jump into his arms,” onlooker Eva Levy said.
“Onlookers had to scream for the ride to be stopped.”
Since the incident, which could have ended tragically, the organizers of the show have launched an investigation into the matter.
“The safety of patrons at the Show is paramount and we have shut down the kids’ Free Fall ride following a reported issue with a harness,” the spokesperson said.
“The safety systems of the ride functioned well to prevent any injury occurring and the ride will not operate again until a full investigation has been completed and the ride has been approved by specialist engineers.”
What are your thoughts on this matter? Let us know in the comments and don’t forget to SHARE this post with your family and friends. For more news and stories, follow us on Facebook!