A small light pole fell into two children on a ride at the Florida Strawberry Festival Sunday afternoon.
The spotlight was anchored to the perimeter rail at its top and base with clamps at the clown ride. The rides are inspected by a bureau of Florida’s Department of Agriculture at the beginning of the festival. The rides are then inspected everyday by trained Belle City Amusement employees.
Belle City said the brace might have come loose after someone leaning over the perimeter fencing kicked it.
“We’ve had so many people leaning over the fence,” John Manno, safety manager for Belle City, said. “Any injury to a child we take very, very seriously. As careful as we are, things happen. Our main concern is the safety and well being of the children.”
The light is no taller than 8 feet and is about as thick as a broomstick. Its two glass bulbs did not break.
EMS responded from a station on the grounds only 300 yards away, before fair officials even got to the ride, according to Manno.
“It’s a reminder that when you have crowds of people, you have to be very vigilant of safety,” Paul Davis, festival manager said.
Dave Pletz, a witness who had children on the adjacent ride, heard parents when the light fell. He looked over to see it on the ride.
“I didn’t figure out what was going on until the operator lifted the pole off of the ride,” Pletz said. “I design machinery for a living and instinctively question why the failure happened. Wish I would have looked at how the other lights were attached. If they were not attached at the bottom it is extreme carelessness in my opinion.”
Belle City’s insurance policy will cover the expenses of the children’s hospital visit. Manno said EMS did not transport the children to the hospital. Their mother took them herself.
In the festival’s 80-year history and Belle City’s 67 years in operation, both cite bruises and bumps, but no serious injuries.
