TAMPA, Fla. — A Tampa mom stuck mid-air on a Florida State Fair ride with her son last Friday said she thought they were going to fall out of the cabin because there were no seatbelts.
“We’re just hanging on as best as we can,” said Janine Ford, 34. “Seatbelts would’ve definitely helped.”
The Enterprise ride uses Centrifugal force to keep guests in their seats while it’s in motion. Ford said she and her son, Noah, 9, were in one cabin and her daughters were in another cabin when the ride malfunctioned.
“When it was working properly, we were being held in. We were fine,” she said. “It was going around, but once the ride started going upside down, that’s when we started getting kind of tossed around.”
Ford had deep bruising on her arm, shoulder and leg five days after the incident. The mom said since her daughters are in gymnastics; they fared better.
”They were able to kind of hold themselves together while they were inside of it,” she said. “They didn’t get much bruising or anything.”
Ford said her cabin never flipped upside down, which happened to other riders and it felt like they were stuck for about 30 minutes.
“We were kind of in a reclining position for most of it,” she said. “It’s when they started turning the wheel manually is when we were stuck in that forward position until they were able to get us rescued.”
Ford recorded a nearly four minute video capturing those terrifying moments when she and her son’s cabin were leaning forward. On the video, you can hear in their voices how scared they were of falling.
“I’ve got you, son. Now try to stay up as strong as you can,” she said on the video. “Don’t move though. I got you.”
The Florida State Fair released a statement about the incident:
“Late Friday 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 remained closed for the remainder of the Fair.”
Ford said she was not happy with the response they got after getting off the ride.
“They just apologized and issued a refund,” she said. “I don’t feel like anyone cared. Even with us just getting off the ride, nobody said anything to us.”
“Even my son was just saying ‘thank you, thank you.’ He was so appreciative of people that was helping to get us off but they just didn’t really acknowledge him at all. So, that was the part that got me.”
Orlando Democratic Sen. Geraldine Thompson filed legislation last week to improve ride safety in Florida.
The proposal empowers the state to conduct unannounced ride inspections and establishes minimum training standards for attendants. It would also require additional inspections after a ride operator performs “major modification.”
The legislative effort is inspired by the tragic death of Tyree Sampson, a 14-year-old tourist killed in Orlando last year after falling roughly 70-feet to his death while aboard the Free Fall Ride at ICON Park.
Lawmakers will take the bill into consideration in the upcoming legislative session, which begins on March 7. If signed into law, the bill would take effect July 1.
