A popular children's ride at the Sydney Royal Easter show has been shut down after a four-year-old boy was left unrestrained.
On Sunday, 10 April, Tristan Curtis was nearly flung into the air after his overhead restraint wasn't locked over him on the 'Free Fall' ride.
Images revealed Tristan sitting alongside three other children, all clutching at their restraints, while the four-year-old leaned forward, his restraint still up in the air.
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Just moments before from the ride was set to start, operators were alerted by panicked bystanders.
Tristan's mother, Sky Boustani Curtis was watching from the side as she realised what was happening.
She told the Daily Telegraph: "The (operator) girl stopped the ride but didn't get out of her booth so another father ended up getting him to climb down to him.
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"Myself and my husband were not tall enough to reach him. They simply did not pull his harness down, didn't check him."
Another onlooker, Eva Levy, recalled the operator 'hit emergency stop but it seems like the operator couldn't bring the ride down and someone actually had to go there and have his son jump into his arms'.
She claimed that the operator had 'no idea' the boy didn't have his overheard belt secured.
"Onlookers had to scream for the ride to be stopped," Levy said.
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Eva Grace, who shared the image on social media, warned parents to 'be careful'. She said: "The bar was never put down and she started the ride with no notice or checks. Make sure you’re watching the way they strap your child into a ride because clearly some of these operators are not doing their job and duty of care!
"Shameful no excuses!"
Mrs Curtis explained how her son has autism and so she is uncertain how he is coping since the incident.
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She has since filed an incident report, but has not been contacted by the organisers of the Easter Show.
She told the Sydney Morning Herald: "[I] would like to know it was taken seriously, it just felt like the whole situation was like it was nothing to worry about from them.
“We have not been contacted by the Easter Show and the two girls [operating the ride] never even said one word to us when it happened or even after.”
In order to go on the ride which features a 'controlled drop that stimulates the fear of falling' you must be at least 110 centimetres tall and children can go with or without an adult.
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On Sunday night, the Sydney Royal Easter Show released a statement on social media.
It stated: “The safety of patrons at the Show is paramount and we have shut down the kids’ Free Fall ride following a reported issue with a harness.
“The safety systems of the ride functioned well to prevent any injury occurring and the ride will not operate again until a full investigation has been completed and the ride has been approved by specialist engineers.”
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Topics: Australia
