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A Ferris wheel scare at the Florida State Fair
An afternoon at the fair turned into a nightmare afternoon for some on Saturday
TAMPA, Fla. - A ride designed to use momentum to keep riders in their seats without restraints suddenly shut down at the Florida State Fair in Tampa.
Dubbed the "Enterprise," those at the Tampa fair were recording when the ride stalled. One fairgoer told Storyful people were getting sick, and the staff stopped the ride.
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Enterprise ride at Florida State Fair clumsily flips as ride suddenly stops
A woman at the Florida State Fair in Tampa captured the moment when an amusement ride stopped mid-air, causing its carriages to flip frantically on February 17.
"Oh my God. Oh my God. Oh my God," one woman was heard saying.
Riders were traveling upside down as the Enterprise wheel spun slowly, and some carriages quickly flipped over.
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"I was originally live on TikTok, but I had to stop it, because I was afraid of one of the kids falling out," said Brandi Freymuller, who shot that video. "There's no seat belt, no harnesses…the ride is meant to keep you on with gravity, because there's nothing keeping them in the car. We thought they were going to fall out," she said.
Freymuller told FOX 13 she’s having second thoughts of ever going on fair rides again.
"We have Busch Gardens, it’s not set up every other week. We can't trust it anymore, that was my favorite ride," she said.
A Facebook user said she was on the ride when it stopped, causing her to hang "midair upside down," with no seat belts, and had to hang on to the bars in the carriage until they were rescued.
A statement from Frank Zaitshik – owner of Wade Shows & Midway Manager at the Florida State Fair – was released to FOX 13:
"Late this afternoon, the Enterprise was operating, and the safety mechanisms were activated, which caused the ride to shut down as designed. We swiftly began exiting guests from the ride, in the most safe and timely manner. All safety and emergency protocols were followed. A thorough inspection will be conducted into what triggered the safety mechanisms. Out of an abundance of caution, the ride will remain closed for the remainder of the Fair."
A spokesperson told FOX 13 there were no injuries.