Child critically injured in 'after-hours' carnival ride incident

WorkSafe Victoria has advised that a five-year-old boy who was critically injured when he fell from a ride on Victoria's Mornington Peninsula on Easter Monday may have been on the ride after the carnival had closed.

Currently investigating the incident at Rye, which happened just after 5pm yesterday (17th April), WorkSafe advised “initial inquiries indicate that the ride may have been used by carnival workers and their families after the carnival had closed.

"Inquiries will focus on a number of issues, in particular the height requirements for riders, to determine if all safety procedures had been followed."

The boy reportedly fell from Wittingslow Amusements’ Cha Cha ride and was flown to Melbourne’s Royal Children's Hospital with head and foot injuries. He remains in a critical condition.

There is a minimum 130cm height restriction on the Cha Cha ride which seats more than 40 people.

In the current climate of massive media scrutiny of amusement ride safety, the incident has been widely reported across media platforms.

Information on the ride can be viewed on the Wittingslow Amusements website at www.wittingslowamusements.com.au/portfolio-view/cha-cha/

Images: A family on the Cha Cha ride (top - generic ride photograph courtesy of Wittingslow Amusements) and media reporting on the accident (below).

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