A trip to the Arkansas State Fair turned into a nightmare for one mother and her two children when they found themselves embroiled in a terrifying incident involving a malfunctioning carnival ride. Ally Metzger watched in horror as her kids, aged 8 and 11, were left dangling upside down on the X-Drive ride for a full 15 minutes, igniting concerns about safety at the popular fair.
The X-Drive, known for its dizzying spins and flips, had apparently stopped functioning, leaving riders suspended in the air. Metzger captured the chaos on video, expressing her panic as fair workers struggled to manually rotate the ride and bring her children to safety. “They’re trying to get my kids down; they’ve been stuck upside down for 15 minutes at least,” she exclaimed in a Facebook post. Her video shows the frantic scene as attendees worked to remedy the situation, with the ride repeatedly failing to descend.
Despite being in a terrifying predicament, Metzger’s daughter later shared her limited recollection of the incident, stating that all she remembered was crying and feeling dizzy from the blood rushing to her head. “Her legs were hurting, I guess because the circulation was out,” Metzger recounted, highlighting the distressing consequences of the malfunction. Two other riders were also left in similar perilous positions, although their injuries remain unknown.
The ride was designed to return riders to a seated position during loading and unloading phases, but a technical fault prevented this from happening, according to North American Midway Entertainment Services VP Scooter Korek. “The ride’s computer received a fault,” Korek explained. “What it does is when it finds something that it doesn’t like, it shuts it down.” While he assured the public of the ride’s safety, stating that any of his family members could ride it without hesitation, many are left questioning the reliability of carnival attractions.
Metzger’s concerns didn’t stop at her children’s terrifying experience. Following the incident, she expressed her anger on social media, demanding a refund and criticizing one of the ride attendants for downplaying the situation. “After what was spent to get in this place? RUN ME MY REFUND,” she wrote, highlighting her frustration with the lack of urgency displayed by fair staff. She also praised a staff member at the medical tent who checked on her children and provided them with their money back.
This shocking incident raises serious questions about the safety standards of carnival rides, especially during busy events like state fairs. Families expect a day of fun and excitement, but this malfunction left a shadow over the experience, with Metzger stating, “We had plans this weekend, but that just kind of jolted everything.”
As fair officials scramble to address safety protocols in light of this incident, parents are right to demand accountability. The experience has undoubtedly left a mark on Metzger’s family, who are now reconsidering their future visits to the fair. With safety issues at the forefront, it’s clear that families should not only be concerned about the fun they’ll have but also about the potential dangers lurking behind the thrill of carnival rides.
