Nine people suffered injuries after a carnival ride accident at the Wilson County-Tennessee State Fair in Lebanon, Tennessee, on August 19, with four people requiring hospitalization.
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The incident involved the Wave Swinger, a ride operated by Reithoffer Shows. According to investigators, several riders struck a surrounding fence as the ride came down.
Emergency crews evaluated nine people at the fair, and four injured riders went to a local hospital. The Wilson County Emergency Management Agency said none of the reported injuries posed a life-threatening risk.
The Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development responded to the incident and issued a cease-and-desist order for the ride while officials reviewed what happened. A third-party inspector had examined the Wave Swinger before the fair opened.
Operator Error Led To Ride Malfunction
WSMV 4, Nashville Investigates obtained the letter written to the state which explained how the operator of the ride was at fault for the mishap.
When the operator pressed the emergency stop for the ride, he switched the ride back to manual mode and lowered the ride before it stopped rotating. Allegedly, the manufacturer’s manual details the exact precautions to take, but the operator disregarded them.
The operator involved will no longer operate the Wave Swinger, according to the inspector. Other operators also received additional training.
The state consulted Reithoffer Shows and a third-party inspector during the review. Officials determined that the ride itself did not cause the accident.
The ride returned to operation at the fair on August 21 after officials completed the investigation and reviewed the required information.
Parents of children involved in the incident shared their experience with WSMV 4.
Jamie Nowak told the outlet that her husband and children were on the ride when the accident occurred.
“I looked over and I realized he’s over the rail,” she shared. “I was holding lemonades and bags and I just threw everything on the ground and went running along with every other parent that was watching.”
Her 10-year-old son, T.J., also spoke out. He said, “I could tell that I was gonna be over the rail whenever it started going down. I was pushing on the rail so I wouldn’t hit it. But whenever my back was turned toward the rail, that’s whenever I was going to hit it.”
Thankfully, the Novak family came out from the incident unscathed.