Two women and a child are injured after falling 18ft from a Ferris wheel when one of the carts 'flopped upside down'

  • The three people landed on the metal base at the bottom of the ride 
  • A 59-year-old woman took the brunt of the fall as the other people fell on her
  • She was airlifted to hospital where she is in a critical but stable condition 
  • The incident occurred at the Jefferson County Rhododendron Festival at Port Townsend, Washington State in the USA yesterday evening local time 

By Liz Dunphy For Mailonline

Published: 11:08 GMT, 19 May 2017 | Updated: 17:36 GMT, 19 May 2017

Two women and a child were injured after falling approximately 18 feet from a Ferris wheel at a festival in Washington State in the USA. 

The incident occurred at the Rhododendron Festival in Port Townsend at approximately 6pm local time yesterday.

A 7-year-old boy, a 59-year-old woman and a 47-year-old woman, fell 15 to 18 feet and landed on the metal base at the bottom of the ride, according to East Jefferson Fire Department spokesman Bill Beezley. 

Two women and a child were injured after falling approximately 18 feet from a Ferris wheel at the at the Rhododendron Festival in Port Townsend, Washington State in the USA

Two women and a child were injured after falling approximately 18 feet from a Ferris wheel at the at the Rhododendron Festival in Port Townsend, Washington State in the USA

A fourth person was slightly injured after he was clipped by one of the victims who fell from the Ferris wheel but he refused medical treatment, ABC News reports. 

The 59-year-old woman was airlifted to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle. 

She has multiple fractures and an open head injury according to Mr Beezley. 

'The women took the brunt of the fall. The other people fell on her,' Mr Beezley said.

A boy aged 7, and two women aged 59 and 47, fell 15 to 18 feet and landed on the metal base at the bottom of the ride, all three were hospitalised and one was injured critically in the accident

A boy aged 7, and two women aged 59 and 47, fell 15 to 18 feet and landed on the metal base at the bottom of the ride, all three were hospitalised and one was injured critically in the accident

Hospital staff report that she is in a critical, but stable condition with non-life threatening injuries. 

According to Kiro News, witnesses told police that the ride 'made a grinding sound' and 'something appeared to fall out, the cart slowly tipped over and dumped the passengers.'

Kiro News reports that the passengers tried to hold on before  they fell to the ground.

The other woman and the boy were taken to a local hospital with non-life threatening injuries. The boy has since been released.

According to Kiro News , witnesses told police that the ride 'made a grinding sound' and 'something appeared to fall out, the cart slowly tipped over and dumped the passengers'

According to Kiro News , witnesses told police that the ride 'made a grinding sound' and 'something appeared to fall out, the cart slowly tipped over and dumped the passengers'

 'According to an eyewitness, one of the Ferris wheel carts flopped upside down, ejecting three occupants,' Mr Beezley said, as reported in Komo News. 

The ride has been shut down and cordoned off for the investigation into the incident.

But officials have said that the festival will not be cancelled.

The festival Vice-President Brandi Hamon and President Debbie La Follete's sons were at the top of the Ferris wheel during the accident. It took approximately one hour to get everyone off the Ferris wheel.

According to an eyewitness, one of the Ferris wheel carts flopped upside down, ejecting three occupants who hit the metal base at the bottom of the ride at the Rhododendron Festival

According to an eyewitness, one of the Ferris wheel carts flopped upside down, ejecting three occupants who hit the metal base at the bottom of the ride at the Rhododendron Festival

They asked for prayers for the victims and everyone involved in the accident.

'This was a tragic event and our thoughts and prayers are with all involved. At this time we are letting the Port Townsend Police Department, East Jefferson Fire and Rescue and Funtastic Traveling Shows (which the carnival is owned and operated by) conduct their investigations,' their statement read.  

'Thank you to all the volunteers and employees that stepped up out of the crowd to make sure the victims were attended to and the incident was controlled. Once again please keep the victims and their families in your prayers.'

Independent inspectors are due to join the investigation with state and federal authorities onsite today. 

Funtastic has been in operation since the 1950s. President Ron Burback told Kiro News that the company hosts annual, week-long safety seminars, attended by amusement ride operators and government officials from around the country.