SIX people, including four children, have been taken to hospital following an incident on a funfair ride in Co. Antrim.
The incident happened on the Star Flyer swing ride at Planet Fun in Carrickfergus shortly before 6pm on Saturday.
In a statement on their Facebook page, the venue said the issue was caused by “misuse of equipment by the behaviour of several teenagers on the attraction and is to be further investigated by the PSNI”.
The PSNI confirmed to The Irish Post that it had been contacted regarding the incident and is assisting the Heath and safety Executive with its inquiries.
Six hospitalised
Three fire engines, a specialist rescue team and the air ambulance attended the scene, while the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service (NIAS) said it had dispatched four emergency crews, a rapid response paramedic and an ambulance officer.
A spokesperson for the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service (NIFRS) said two children were taken to hospital by ambulance while another two were taken by their parents.
The NIAS confirmed six people in total were hospitalised, however none with life-threatening injures.
'No mechanical defects'
In an initial statement, Planet Fun said that at no stage did the ride collapse and that it had immediately reported the incident to the HSE.
A later statement on the venue’s Facebook page said that it had been cleared to reopen, although the Star Flyer ride would remain shut.
“Following a preliminary investigation by the Health & Safety Executive, Planet Fun have been cleared to reopen and it is confirmed the equipment has not got any mechanical defects,” read the post.
“We will however be keeping the Star Flyer closed pending further safety checks and investigation.
“The incident tonight was caused by misuse of equipment by the behaviour of several teenagers on the attraction and is to be further investigated by the PSNI.
“The swift actions by our staff to terminate the ride prevented further injuries.
“At this time we cannot comment any further on the incident but would extend our thoughts and best wishes to the people who were injured.”
Police appeal for information
In a statement to The Irish Post, the PSNI urged anyone with information to come forward.
"We received a number of calls shortly after 5.55pm last night (Saturday, 24th July) in relation to an incident involving an amusement ride at a funfair in Carrickfergus and that a number of people had been injured," said Chief Inspector Stephen Murray.
"Our officers responded to these calls and attended the scene, assisting emergency service colleagues from Northern Ireland Ambulance Service and Northern Ireland Fire & Rescue Service.
"We are continuing today to assist the Health and Safety Executive for Northern Ireland as they conduct their enquiries.
"We are also making enquiries and we would ask anyone who was at the scene last night, and who has not yet spoken to our officers, to call us on 101 and quote reference number 1607 of 24/07/21.”
