I don't have many details, but channel 8 is reporting that a ride malfunctioned, a strap holding a pasenger broke today and trapped the rider up in the air.
He was rescued safely.
This was one of the extreme rides, the slingshot. The story I saw did not indicate it was operated by Bell's. It is basically a chair with two bungee cords shooting you into the air. One of the bungee cords snapped. The passenger was rescued by a TFD high-rise bucket truck.
I use bungee cords in my truck, nowhere else.
My impression was that this was a midway ride at the fair.
I've always wondered about the "traveling" rides that get set up overnight. You see them going down the interstate and think: tomorrow, someone's going to actually be riding in this contraption. Hope they remember to tighten all the bolts...
Not my worry, really. I avoid the midway due to an aversion to stepping in other people's vomit. But that's just me.
Supposedly the operators replace and repair everything way ahead of manufacturer's reccomendations. Likely just defective.
It made the local news here in Charlotte! In my drunken stupor, I was amazed to look up at the bar's TV last night and see a news story with the Pavilion in the background of the picture!
Slow news day, eh?
Funny, I too was in a drunken stupor and remember looking up - but I don't remember what I saw...some kind of flashing red lights....
There are state inspectors that agressively check traveling rides EVERYTIME they set-up while inside the state lines.
Now, once upon a time, those guys could be bought off with a bit of cash, a few funnel cakes, and a afters-hours date with the bearded lady (yuck) - but not anymore.
Last I knew, the odds of being injured by a ride gone wild were even with stepping on a moose in your broom closet. Which is best done while in a drunken stupor.
jdb