Two children were hospitalized after a Ferris wheel fall at the Harvest Festival in New Roads, Louisiana, on Friday, according to authorities. Pointe Coupee Parish Sheriff René Thibodeaux confirmed that three girls were riding the Ferris wheel when two were thrown roughly 15 to 20 feet to the ground, while a third girl hung onto the ride until bystanders safely caught her.
“The third girl was hanging onto the Ferris wheel,” Thibodeaux told Fox News Digital. “Thank the good Lord that they will both recover.” First responders treated the victims at the scene before airlifting them to Baton Rouge Children’s Hospital. One of the girls has since been released, while the other remains hospitalized with what Thibodeaux described as “moderate to severe injuries.”
Witnesses described chaos and fear as the ride appeared to malfunction midair. “I’ll probably never get on another Ferris wheel,” one witness said. “I looked over and the Ferris wheel — the car was kinked over. I don’t know how it got stuck like that. They had a major malfunction. Someone didn’t do something right, that’s for sure.”
Another witness recalled hearing loud cracking sounds moments before the fall. “It was bad — it wasn’t supposed to be cracking like that,” he said. “They need to take this down. When the Ferris wheel goes, the cars are supposed to swing with it, but it got stuck.”
Authorities have not yet determined what caused the Ferris wheel fall. The Louisiana State Fire Marshal’s Office and local investigators are examining the ride for safety violations as the community prays for the girls’ recovery.
