Around 8 p.m. witnesses told Lehigh Acres Gazette (which was already on scene covering the festival) a carnival ride was stuck in the air, trapping eight riders
The ride, known as the Power Surge was stuck in the air for more than an hour Saturday night. Lehigh Acres Fire fighters used a ladder truck to rescue the passengers on the ride. Fortunately, no one was injured, but one did go to the hospital as a precaution.
Last person off the ride at around 9:30, meaning rides were stuck on that ride for about an hour and a half.
The Lehigh Acres Spring Festival is no stranger to controversy and terror like this.
One year ago, in 2014 a piece of metal flew out the ride called “Tap Out” and broke a window of a car.
2013 a similar rotating ride, called “The Ring of Fire”, came to an abrupt stop.
The failure caused damage to the ring portion of the ride, leaving several sections bent and hanging out.
That accident left three young children seriously injured. And two major law suits filed against the ride operator Modern Midways.
The inspectors discovered things like safety cables missing or installed incorrectly, missing fastener nuts, among other issues.
The company who operates and maintains this rides is called Modern Midways out of Steger, IL.
Between 2011 and 2013, state inspectors recorded deficiencies at 23 different locations, as Modern Midways traveled across the state.