A 2-year-old girl fell from the Casino Pier's Sky Ride in Seaside Heights, New Jersey, on Monday evening before the ride started moving. The child landed on the edge of the boardwalk and the sand below.
A 3-year-old boy who was riding with the pair remained on the chairlift when the incident occurred at approximately 7:40 p.m. Casino Pier staff immediately shut down the ride. Firefighters used a ladder to assist the boy in descending safely.
The Sky Ride is situated about 10 to 12 feet above the boardwalk. According to Fire Chief Tim Farrell, the girl fell onto an entrance platform near the chair and then onto the sand. Emergency medical services evaluated the child at the scene. She and her aunt were subsequently transported to Community Medical Center in Toms River for further medical evaluation.
Police indicated that the ride appeared to be functioning correctly with no apparent defects. The New Jersey Department of Community Affairs, which is responsible for amusement ride inspections and licensing, has launched an investigation into the incident. At this time, there is no indication that a ride malfunction caused the fall.
The Sky Ride at Casino Pier was manufactured by Borvig and began operation in 1983, according to amusement park database Coasterpedia. This incident follows other recent amusement park ride concerns reported nationally, including a woman in Colorado who sustained serious injuries after allegedly being ejected from a roller coaster and riders in Texas who were left suspended approximately 200 feet in the air after a Six Flags ride halted due to a passenger using a cellphone.