More information is coming to light after a 10-year-old boy was “seriously injured” and had to be transferred to two different hospitals this week after he was apparently thrown from a carnival ride during the summer festival in the far northern suburbs of Antioch.
According to officials, the incident happened Sunday afternoon at Antioch’s Taste of Summer festival on a ride called Moby Dick, which locks people onto the shoulders and then goes up and down while gaining momentum. Authorities first responded to the area at 2:40 p.m., after receiving reports that a child had fallen from a ride, said Antioch police.
Upon arrival, Antioch Fire and Police crews 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 injured” after the incident and had to be taken to a nearby hospital. However, “due to the extent of his injuries,” the boy was transferred Sunday night to another hospital, officials said.
The 10-year-old boy, identified by family as Huntley Daniels, was recovering after multiple surgeries Monday, according to his grandmother, Dawne Pohlman.
“He’s a very strong kid. Very tough kid. And he’s great,” Pohlman said.
Pohlman said the family, longtime residents of Antioch, regularly attends the Taste of Summer event, which makes Sunday’s tragedy even more difficult to understand.
“It’s unbelievable,” Pohlman said. “They rode many carnival rides. My daughter called me in a panic.”
Pohlman told NBC 5 that her grandson was initially treated at Lutheran General Hospital, but due to the severity of his injuries, he had to be airlifted a second time to Comer Children’s Hospital in Chicago.
Another boy, on the same ride, described feeling uncertain about his safety at that moment.
“My bar was going over my head,” Elliott Johnson said. “Every time I go up, because I go up, I almost fall, I rush 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 underwent surgery, officials said, adding that his injuries were not classified as life-threatening.
Antioch Police, the investigation by the Department of Labor is ongoing
After the incident, Antioch Mayor Scott Gartner issued an executive order halting all rides at the event, and the Antioch Police Department worked to secure the ride “to make sure no tampering took place ,” the Monday release. Police also requested an inspector from the Illinois Department of Labor to the scene, the release continued.
According to Antioch officials, the Illinois Department of Labor, Amusement Ride and Attraction Safety Division is responsible for the annual inspection and approval of public rides.
“Only boats that have passed inspection, are insured, and meet the appropriate safety standards are allowed to operate in Illinois,” Monday’s release said, citing the ILDOL website. “According to IDOL, the ride involved in the incident, operated by All Around Amusement in Lockport, Illinois, was inspected this year and issued a permit to operate.”
The carnival ride operator was selected 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 at the scene and conducted an initial inspection of the vehicle. 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 takes place.
Additionally, the department said it will “conduct an independent investigation to determine whether the incident resulted from mechanical failure, operator error, or a combination thereof.”
According to officials, the investigation is expected to last “several months.”
Antioch Police Chief Geoffrey Guttschow added that the police department will conduct its own investigation “to determine if there were any criminal negligence or negligent acts that may have contributed to what happened.” .”
“We will work with the Lake County States Attorney to determine if any criminal charges are appropriate under these circumstances,” Guttschow said in the release.
Antioch city leaders are expected to meet again Monday to discuss the incident.
“We plan to work with the Chamber of Commerce to find out exactly what caused this tragic accident and what we can do to work together to make sure nothing like this happens 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 on a roller coaster at a festival in Crandon, Wisconsin. A large crack was discovered in the support column of Fury 325, an elevated roller coaster at Carowinds, an amusement park in Charlotte, North Carolina on June 30.
In 2021, a Michigan woman was hit in the head by a metal bracket falling from a roller coaster at Cedar Point amusement park in Sandusky, Ohio. The woman sued the park and its parent company, saying their negligence caused the accident that left her with traumatic brain injuries.
