A ride operator fell to the ground trying to rescue two kids from a malfunctioning Ferris wheel carriage at a Greensboro, North Carolina, fair Friday evening, according to video footage of the incident.
KTRK reports the ride operator stopped the Ferris wheel around 9:45 p.m. Friday after one of the carriages appeared to tilt at a 90-degree angle outside its normal position.
The worker “followed safety procedures to safely unload all passengers” after he stopped the ride, according to a statement by the Central Carolina Fair.
Two boys, ages 5 and 7, were in the malfunctioning carriage while the worker was trying to repair it. The fair employee was trying to put the gondola car back in its place when he lost his footing.
“I thought we were gonna die.” Carlos White, 7, told WNCN about the experience.
The injured worker was taken to a local hospital with minor injuries and then released. The two children inside the car did not suffer any injuries.
The statement from the fair added that the Ferris wheel’s carriage had been fixed and inspectors from the North Carolina Department of Labor investigated the incident. The ride passed inspection and state officials allowed the ride to re-open Saturday.