Ride topples and injures 6 people during July Fourth carnival, Washington officials say

Six people were injured when a carnival ride toppled over, Washington city officials said.

The incident happened July 3 at the Independence Day carnival in Oak Harbor , city officials said in a Facebook post.

Officials said the riders were treated on scene for minor injuries.

“It made this weird noise when we were waiting, and I told my mom ‘Oh, that sounded dangerous,’” Kevin Williams, a child who had been on the ride the day before, told KING.

The ride was shut down and inspections were planned for the following day, officials said.

Additionally, the carnival shut down for the rest of the evening.

“Ensuring the safety of our residents and visitors is our top priority,” Mayor Ronnie Wright said in an updated release. “After careful deliberation and consultation with law enforcement and city officials, it became that this was the best course of action to protect our community.”

The event reopened for the Fourth of July , however, all mechanical rides were closed off, officials said. Other games, vendors and entertainment continue as planned, including the Whidbey Wags Pet Parade.

The carnival runs from June 28 to July 7 .

The City of Oak Harbor could not immediately be reached for comment as of July 5.

McClatchy News also reached out to the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries but did not immediately hear back.

How do I know if a ride is safe?

In Washington, amusement rides are required to be inspected by third-party safety inspectors every year, according to the state labor agency.

But even with inspections, “there is no fail-safe way to know if a ride is safe. You ride at your own risk,” officials said.

Riders can check to see if a ride has been inspected by looking for an L&I-issued sticker, officials said.

They can also watch to see how a ride is being operated by seeing if safety restraints are properly being used, if the operator is paying attention and if they are enforcing rider size restrictions, the labor department said.

“Ask yourself whether you feel comfortable having you or your child ride the ride,” officials said.

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