A doting dad has told how his terrified young daughter thought he was 'going to die' after a Christmas ride 25ft up in the air turned into a nightmare.
The plucky pair were keen to have a go on the popular Moondancer ride at the Winterland event in Wales over the weekend. But their thrill-seeking spin took a turn for the worse when Chris Miller said his restraint broke in midair.
The 39-year-old was enjoying the seasonal festivities with daughter, Summer and partner, Lucie, at the time. Summer, 10, had been at the amusement park the weekend before with pals and was keen for her dad to try out the ride, reports Wales Online.
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The ride operators said they were aware of an 'event' in which the failsafe worked 'as intended'. They added that Chris and Summer were allowed to exit the ride and received a full refund.
Of his experience, Chris said: "The ride has a row of seats and spins people round in a clock-face motion. It puts you about 25ft into the air and whooshes you back round. You need a safety barrier to keep you in the chair. Without it anybody of a smaller build would go flying out.
"I sat right at the end of the row with my daughter and partner in the seats next to me. I had a padded coat on with my wallet and keys in the pockets so when the guy pushed the safety barrier down he only clicked it two places down even though there were about 10 to 20 teeth available.
"I questioned that but he said a minimum of two clicks was fine. I'm a big lad – 6ft tall but not overweight. It was a tight fit and my chest was pushed in, so it seemed quite difficult to breathe. But I trusted their judgement and the ride started.
However, the 39-year-old alleges his suspicions were correct and things quickly started to go wrong when the ride began. Chris added: "About 20 seconds in, the bar slipped out to the last click and I panicked. I shouted: 'Stop the ride' and they stopped it. The operative put it back down to the second click.
"I was starting to get quite anxious but again I trusted their judgement." However, Chris alleges that once again when the ride began the restraint came completely off and he was unable to put it back in place due to the ride speed.
He said:" I was trying to get the operative's attention but there was loud music. I was flying up and down while my partner was screaming to the operative.
"After about five to 10 seconds the ride came to a stop. It went on long enough for us to go all the way round once and up to 80% of the maximum height again before it stopped.
"If you were to fly out of the seat at the highest point you are talking death or serious injury. I'm so grateful it was me because if it was a smaller person or child I imagine they would have slid out."
The father says he exited the ride as soon as it reached ground level with his girlfriend and daughter as they felt unsafe. He also alleged that witnesses to the incident were instructing their children to get off the ride immediately.
Chris said: "I approached the token kiosk afterwards and spoke to the ride owner who said the ride should automatically stop when a barrier lifts. He was very sorry and he gave a refund but I was flabbergasted to see people being allowed straight on after what had happened.
"They had only stopped people sitting in the seat I was in but the whole thing should have been closed down and checked. My daughter was beside herself and petrified, bless her heart.
"She was in tears because she thought her daddy was going to die. She's very, very traumatised.
"I think it will affect her ability to enjoy any fairground experience. I'm okay and will move on but I think it will have a detrimental effect on my daughter."
A spokesperson for Studt’s Funfairs, which operates the ride, says it is aware of an 'event' in which the failsafe worked 'as intended'. They said: "The customer was allowed to exit the ride and received a full refund.
"Safety is a priority for Studt's Funfairs and as a precaution we ceased use of that particular seat to perform checks. The ride has since been fully checked over and is operating properly.
“While this customer wasn’t satisfied with their overall experience our sites operate across south Wales and have thousands of customers per year who enjoy the professional and safe attractions that our company and family name is built upon. We are proud of our exemplary safety record and look forward to continuing to work across south Wales to continue this record as we welcome visitors to our sites."
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