A woman is recounting her "terrifying" experience at the Florida State Fair this past weekend, where part of a ride partially detached and left her injured.
Eva Brock told WFLA she was attending the fair with her boyfriend's nine-year-old son and six-year-old daughter on Sunday (February 12). They decided to board the "Spin Out" ride on the State Fair's Midway, but little did they know things were about to take a turn for the worst.
According to Brock, the lightbulb-draped centerpiece of the ride became partially detached during the ride.
“It almost felt when we were riding it that the ride was falling down, which was really, really terrifying. The way it was hinged it came towards us, so I stuck my feet out to try to stop it from hitting us because I didn’t know how far it was gonna come back.”
Brock said she was yelling for the operators to stop the ride, but they didn't do anything until the lightbulbs started hitting the metal floor. She claims she experienced panic attacks while her boyfriend's daughter, who was "sobbing her little eyes out," suffered sprained ankles.
Another woman, named Eve Shofstall, shared her experience on Facebook, calling the incident "a nightmare."
"As one of the rides we were on… 6ft metal hatch fell open as we were spinning sideways," she wrote. "Each time it would slam shut tons of bulbs would burst all over us then the lid would come flying open towards us."
Shofstall also shared photos of her and other riders stuck on Spin Out before they were freed. She also confirmed she went to the emergency room with sprained ankles.
"Probably one of the scariest moments of my life," she said.
The Florida State Fair issued this statement to WFLA when asked about the incident:
“The ride operator followed proper safety protocol and brought the ride down safely to its resting position,” Frank Zaitshik said, Wade Show Owner & Midway Manager for the Florida State Fair. “EMS was onsite, one person was evaluated and to our knowledge, there was no further treatment needed. Wagner Consultant Group, our third-party Ride Inspection Team, along with the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, reinspected the ride and found it to be safe to return to operation.”
Brock told reporters the fair paid for her emergency room visit and offered her free tickets, but the trauma still remains.
“I’m never going to get on another amusement park ride at a fair now,” she said. “A roller coaster at a big park, probably, but still it was scary.”