Homeland Security says ride that injured juvenile failed inspection
Update: The Indiana Department of Homeland Security reported the following violations were found in the inspection conducted on Tuesday.
The ride was last inspected on June 11, 2024. At that time, two of the rider carriages were sealed out (deemed unusable) due to safety violations. Those carriages were not being utilized in Dubois County, which is allowable by law.
During the inspection on July 16, the repairs to the two original carriages in question still needed to be completed. Plus, three additional violations were noted, and the ride was sealed out as a whole.
1 General maintenance violations–Missing drive tires, missing belt fasteners (previous violations) and body damage to rider carriages, including small holes that can be pinch points
2 Assembly/welding–Diamond plate flooring severely warped in multiple places, broken rivets, and screws
3 Electrical safety–Multiple light sockets with no working bulbs/or blanks?
The ride cannot be utilized in any fashion until it passes an IDHS compliance inspection.
After an incident on a ride injured an unidentified juvenile, the Dubois County 4-H Council has decided to close the rides for the week of the fair.
According to social media statements, the juvenile fell from the ride while it was operating. Her mother subsequently took her to the emergency room.
The Indiana Department of Homeland Security, which handles amusement ride inspections and safety, inspected the ride today.
According to David Hosick, the Indiana Department of Homeland Security Public Information Officer, the ride in question was found to have violations today following the onsite inspection.
“I do not have a list of those specific violations yet; however, the ride was ordered closed and is not permitted to operate in Indiana until the repairs are made,” he said. “The owner has 30 days to comply, and the ride cannot be put back into service until it passes a compliance inspection by IDHS.
Hasick indicated that the ride company’s owner has stated that the ride operator on Monday evening did not ensure the riders were properly restrained before the ride started.
The Dubois County 4-H Council issued a statement on Facebook regarding the decision and encouraged attendees to attend the many other events at the fair this week.
As a Dubois County 4-H Council we have been made aware of situation that took place at the midway on Monday evening. After much deliberation and consideration we have decided to remove the rides from the midway for the rest of the week.
We encourage you to come out and support the local 4-H’ers this week by attending an animal show and visiting exhibit buildings. Don’t forget to come support all the nonprofit organization food booths.
As a Council we are doing our best to keep the community safe and make the fair the best we can for all involved. Thank you for understanding and patience as we handle this situation.
The Grandstand and Free Stage has events going on all week for you to come and enjoy!
They referred inquiries about the incident to the statement and said no other information would be made available at this time.
Here is what is going on today.
