More information is coming to light after a 10-year-old boy was "seriously injured" and had to be airlifted to two different hospitals this weekend after he was apparently thrown from a carnival ride during a summer festival in the far northern suburb of Antioch.
According to officials, the incident occurred Sunday afternoon at Antioch's Taste of Summer festival on a ride called Moby Dick, which locks people in at the shoulders and then goes up and down as speed increases. Authorities first responded to the scene at 2:40 p.m., after receiving reports that a child had fallen from the ride, Antioch police said.
Upon arrival, Antioch Fire and Police crews had discovered that a 10-year-old boy, "appeared to have been thrown from a carnival ride," a release from the village said Sunday.
Monday, a release from village officials said the victim was "seriously inured" after the incident and had to be airlifted to a nearby hospital. However, "because of the extent of his injuries," the boy was flown Sunday evening to another hospital, officials said.
The 10-year-old boy, identified by family as Huntley Daniels, is recovering following multiple surgeries Monday, according to his grandmother, Dawne Pohlman.
“He’s a very strong kid. Very tough kid. And he’s pulling through well," Pohlman said.
Pohlman said the family, longtime residents of Antioch, often attend the Taste of Summer event, making Sunday’s tragedy even harder to comprehend.
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“It’s unbelievable,” said Pohlman. “They’ve been on many, many carnival rides. My daughter just called me in panic.”
Pohlman told NBC 5 her grandson was initially treated at Lutheran General Hospital, but because of the severity of his injuries, he had to be airlifted a second time to Comer Children’s Hospital in Chicago.
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Another boy, also on the same ride, described feeling uncertain of its safety at the time.
“My bar was coming up over my head,” said Elliott Johnson. “Every time I went up, because it was going up, I was almost about to fall out, I would slam down to close it,” he said referring to the safety bar.
A GoFundMe page set up for Huntley by family members claims he was thrown "approximately 10-20 feet in the air."
According to Antioch authorities, Huntley suffered "multiple facial and jaw fractures," as well as a "significant injury" to the bones in one of his legs. He was last listed in critical but stable condition, and is undergoing surgery, officials said, adding that his injuries were not classified as life-threatening.
Antioch Police, Department of Labor investigation underway
Following the incident, Antioch Mayor Scott Gartner issued an executive order to halt all rides at the event, and the Antioch Police Department worked to secure the ride "to ensure no tampering occurred," Monday's release said. Police also requested an on-scene inspector from the Illinois Department of Labor, the release continued.
According to Antioch officials, the Illinois Department of Labor, Amusement Ride and Attraction Safety Division are responsible for the annual inspection and permitting of public rides.
"Only rides that pass inspection, are insured, and meet applicable safety standards are allowed to operate in Illinois," Monday's release said, citing the ILDOL website. "According to the IDOL, the ride involved in the incident, which was operated by All Around Amusement of Lockport, Illinois, was inspected this year and was issued a permit to operate."
The carnival ride operator was chosen by the Antioch Chamber of Commerce, which exclusively runs and plans the annual Taste of Summer event, the village said.
According to officials, a DOL inspector arrived on scene and performed an initial inspection of the ride. The DOL also issued a "stop order" on the Moby Dick ride to prohibit further operation of the ride elsewhere, until a "bolt by bolt" inspection could occur.
Additionally, the department said it will "conduct an independent investigation to determine if the incident resulted from mechanical failure, operator error, or a combination thereof."
According to officials, the investigation is expected to take "several months."
Antioch Police Chief Geoffrey Guttschow added that the police department will be conducting its own investigation "to determine if any criminally reckless or negligent acts may have been contributing factors to what occurred."
“We will be working with the Lake County States Attorney to determine if any criminal charges will be appropriate under these circumstances,” Guttschow said in the release.
Antioch city leaders are expected to meet again Monday to further discuss the incident.
“We plan to work with the Chamber of Commerce to identify exactly what led to this horrible accident and what we can do to work together to ensure nothing like this will happen again in our community,” Gartner said in the release.
The Associated Press reports that there have been other incidents on summer rides this year. On July 2, eight people were trapped upside down on a roller coaster at a festival in Crandon, Wisconsin. A large crack was discovered in the support column of Fury 325, a towering roller coaster at Carowinds, an amusement park in Charlotte, North Carolina on June 30.
In 2021, a Michigan woman was struck in the head by a metal bracket that fell off a roller coaster at Cedar Point amusement park in Sandusky, Ohio. The woman has sued the park and its parent company, alleging their negligence caused the accident that left her with traumatic brain injuries.
