A 13-year-old was badly injured after he came out of his seat on a theme park ride.
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According to a report by the Daily Mail, the incident occurred at the Jatim Park in Batu, Indonesia, on April 8. The unnamed teenager was a rider on the Pendulum 360 attraction.
The Pendulum 360 sits over a dozen passengers. All the seats face outwards from a circular platform that spins with restraints that hold the rider over the shoulders. The ride swings like a pendulum, and the arm does multiple loops as it gathers momentum.
The Daily Mail reveals terrifying footage of the incident. The attraction briefly holds its riders upside down as they reach the top of the loop, as intended. However, on the way down, the 13-year-old manages to come loose from his restraints.
The footage is blurry, so it's unclear how the rider slipped out of his restraints or if there was a mechanical fault. He clings on for dear life as the ride continues to spin before the footage ends. The boy reportedly fell from a height of 1.5 to 2 meters. Emergency Services transported him to a local hospital with fractures to his right hand and leg.
The outlet explains that the teen was at the park with his friends, and the accident occurred in the afternoon at around 4 PM.
Police Ordered The Pendulum 360 Ride To Temporarily Close
Rudi Kuswoyo, head of the Batu Police Criminal Investigation Unit, reportedly explained that the ride operators had followed the correct procedures. Staff had checked the restraints before operating Pendulum 360, including seat five, where the teen came loose.
Police ordered the park to close the attraction, pending an investigation. According to The Mirror, Titik S Ariyanto, a public relations manager, said, "This ride has been operating for 14 years, and there have never been any problems. Therefore, we are currently still waiting for further investigation to find out what caused this incident to occur."
The incident at Jatim Park is eerily similar to another at The Cozumel Fair in February. Another 13-year-old was thrown from a ride, although this time, staff reportedly failed to close the rider's restraints properly. The teen suffered a hip injury, and her family allegedly held onto the ride as hard as they could to avoid being thrown themselves.
