Woman catapulted from funfair ride at 60mph 'lucky to be alive'
"When I came off my ride I hit the ride next to me. They even said if I had hit that ride differently I would be dead. There was no way of surviving."
A woman has said she is "lucky to be alive" after she was thrown into the air from a fairground ride at 60mph.
Jade Harrison has spoken about her terrifying experience in October 2019, when the metal safety bar on the Airmaxx 360 ride at Hull Fair malfunctioned. She struck another ride in mid-air and fell to the ground unconscious.
The 27-year-old from Hull was left with a fractured jaw and a catalogue of other injuries, and experienced difficulty breathing after the incident.
Although an annual visitor to the fair, she wasn't planning to go on any rides until her friend said she wanted to try the Airmaxx 360, known for intense spins and swinging carriages, the Mirror reports.
Jade recalled: "I wasn't planning on going on any rides. But my friend wanted to go on the Airmaxx 360. I didn't want to be left on my own."
She added: "I watched it go around and I thought no that's alright I'll go on that."
However, just 90 seconds after they set off, Jade heard a concerning clicking from her safety bar, but put it to the back of her mind after her friend said they heard the same sound. She said: "I didn't really panic."
As the carriage suddenly shifted, her fears returned: "I just remember thinking I don't like that, I don't like that," she explained. "And then it was too late. As soon as the ride started bouncing the bar just gave away."
Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community!
Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today.
You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland.
No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team.
All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in!
If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'.
We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like.
To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'.
If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
She was flung from the ride, hitting another ride in mid-air before dropping to the ground and losing consciousness. She recalled: "All I remember is the feeling of flipping like you do in a dream when you wake up startled.
"When I came to I was laid on the floor next to the ride but everyone was just around me and I was a bit confused. I kind of forgot where I was and what I was doing so it took me a minute to realise what had happened.
"Then obviously I started panicking and everyone was telling me to calm down. It felt like ages for the paramedics to get there but in reality it was only about two minutes."
Jade was rushed to Hull Royal Infirmary, where medics found her to have a broken jaw requiring surgery to fit metal plates. She also suffered severe nerve damage in her right thigh, which still affects her today, as well as internal bruising, facial wounds and damaged teeth, which were later repaired or removed.
She said: "I'm lucky to be alive. The most painful part was my chest. I couldn't sit up or take a deep breath. When I got home, I couldn't get out of bed without my partner's help."
Jade stayed in hospital for four days, but was unable to work for nearly a year. Her treatment to restore her teeth continued into 2021, and said the psychological recovery took just as long.
She explained: "I was in denial in the beginning. It was hard for me to accept that it happened to me," she admitted. "I would constantly tell myself I'm not going to think about it, I'm not going to think about it. But by doing that I was just delaying pain.
"When I think about it deeply and I think how differently it could have gone I think I'm lucky to be alive. When I came off my ride I hit the ride next to me. They even said if I had hit that ride differently I would be dead. There was no way of surviving.
"Luckily, I hit the ride the way that I did, so I hit the carriage, rather than the floor or anything else."
Following her harrowing ordeal, Jade received a five-figure compensation payment from Taylor's Funfairs, which operated the ride and admitted it was at fault. The Health and Safety Executive shelved its criminal inquiry in 2023.
An examination of the Airmaxx 360 revealed the safety bars were "inadequate". The experience has since left Jade terrified of rides.
She said: "I would never go on a fairground ride again. I've been on the teacups with my nephew, but that's about as far as I'll go. Anything where my feet leave the ground isn't happening."
She still lives with the effects of the incident, admitting it is a "prevalent factor" in her life. She continued: "When I look in the mirror I always notice my leg, my right thigh that is damaged. That's quite a big insecurity to me. That's the main thing that reminds me."
As she is unable to have any further surgery on her leg due to it being considered aesthetic, she faces the possibility of not getting paid time off work.
She is now calling for stricter measures to ensure similar incidents do not happen in future: "I definitely think something needs to be done to stop this happening. It just doesn't make sense."
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Record
an hour ago
- Daily Record
Scottish wingsuit flyer Liam Byrne dies during base jump in Swiss Alps
Liam Byrne suffered fatal injuries when on the Gitschen mountain. A Scots wingsuit flyer has tragically died during a jump in the Swiss Alps. Liam Byrne, suffered fatal injuries when on the Gitschen mountain on Saturday after taking off from 7,784ft (2,400m). The 24-year-old from Stonehaven, Aberdeenshire was described as a very experienced wingsuit flyer - which is type of skydiving which involves wearing a special suit with webbing. Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) confirmed it was supporting the family of a British man who died in Switzerland.
Daily Record
2 hours ago
- Daily Record
British daredevil dies in wingsuit accident after crashing into Swiss mountain
"One of the jumpers, a 24-year-old man from the United Kingdom, deviated from the planned course shortly after take-off for reasons that are still unclear." Police are investigating how a 24-year-old Brit was killed in a tragic wingsuit flight after he crashed into a Swiss mountain. The thrill-seeker had successfully completed one jump, from a notorious launch site known as 'The Dumpster'. However, when he returned for a second leap disaster struck, reports the Mirror. The latest tragedy unfolded in Switzerland, when a man reportedly lost control and smashed into a cliff at 6,500 feet on Saturday. Emergency services later recovered his body. Police have not yet released the man's name as they continued to appeal for witnesses to the accident. A Police spokesman said: "On Saturday three wingsuit flyers launched a jump from Mount Gitschen at around 2,400 metres above sea level in the direction of Seedorf. "One of the jumpers, a 24-year-old man from the United Kingdom, deviated from the planned course shortly after take-off for reasons that are still unclear and crashed into a rocky outcrop at approximately 2,100 metres above sea level. "He sustained fatal injuries." Wingsuit flying is a form of extreme sport linked to BASE jumping, where participants wear a special jumpsuit with fabric wings between the arms and legs, allowing for high-speed gliding during freefall. A parachute is usually deployed towards the end of the flight. The man had previously hiked up to the jump site nicknamed 'The Dumpster' above the village of Stechelberg. The case is now being investigated as part of a formal criminal inquiry, led by the Swiss Federal Prosecutor's Office. The Public Prosecutor's Office in the town of Uri is also assisting in the probe. The incident marks the second fatal accident in recent weeks involving Brits and extreme skydiving pursuits after two parachutists died in Devon earlier this month when their chute failed to open. Earlier this month, Adam Harrison, 30, from Bournemouth, Dorset, and Belinda Taylor, 48, from Totnes, Devon, both died in a separate skydiving tragedy on Friday, June 13. According to Belinda's heartbroken boyfriend, Scott Armstrong, the pair's parachute failed mid-air as they plunged 15,000ft to the ground. Skydive Buzz, which operates from Dunkeswell Airfield where the tragedy happened, said the incident is now being investigated and that safety is its top priority. A statement from Skydive Buzz posted on Facebook said: "We are heartbroken to confirm that an incident occurred on Friday, resulting in the tragic loss of two lives. "Our deepest condolences go out to the families, friends, and everyone affected by this devastating event. "A British Skydiving Board of Inquiry will now investigate the accident." Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'.
Daily Record
2 hours ago
- Daily Record
British man arrested at Disneyland Paris after trying to marry girl, 9, in private wedding
A private event had been organised to take place in front of Sleeping Beauty Castle at the theme park, but Disney cast members were alerted by the sight of a child. A British man has been arrested at Disneyland Paris after an apparent attempt to wed a nine-year-old girl in a private ceremony. Disney staff alerted authorities after spotting the 22-year-old man with a young girl, who was wearing four-inch heels taped to her feet and accompanied by her Ukrainian mother, at a private event held at 5am on Saturday, before the park opened to the public. The wedding was scheduled to occur at dawn in front of the Sleeping Beauty Castle, reports the Mirror. The French venue had been rented for a wedding, but the organisers did not disclose their plans to Disney. According to reports from BFM TV in France, Disneyland Paris was misled about the event's nature. The organiser allegedly impersonated a Latvian national and used fraudulent documents to secure the contract for the park's privatisation. Reports suggest guests were recruited online through advertisements seeking 200 adults and 100 children aged between five and 15 to act as attendees at a 'rehearsal' for a Disneyland wedding. BFM obtained video footage showing approximately 100 seated guests awaiting the ceremony while a female violin trio performed at dawn on a stage adorned with flowers. The event reportedly cost around £110,000. "Four people were arrested and questioned: the groom, who was believed to be the organiser of the event and is presumed to be British, aged 22; the mother of the child, a 41-year-old Ukrainian woman; and two Latvian nationals aged 55 and 24", according to a statement from the prosecutor's office in the nearby town of Meaux, France. The 55-year-old Latvian man alleges he was hired to impersonate the bride's father for 12,000 euros, only to discover at the last minute she was nine years old, as per local news reports. Disneyland Paris informed French newspaper Le Parisien its team promptly shut down the event and prevented guests from entering the venue. The nature of the wedding remains uncertain, whether it was a publicity stunt or an actual ceremony. A medical examination revealed that the young girl had not been subjected to any violence, stated the prosecutor's office. A police source indicated the groom claims to be the head of a production company and they were filming a video. An updated statement from the prosecutor's office clarified: "So it wasn't a wedding, but a staged wedding filmed with around a hundred extras. They privatised Disneyland Paris, pretending it was a real wedding." Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. Two suspects have been charged with 'fraud and breach of trust' against Disneyland Paris. One guest at the wedding told Le Parisien: "We all thought we were going to attend a wedding... Everyone was stunned, no one expected it. Disneyland did things very well. "They canceled everything as soon as they realised the bride was a child. We were shocked to see that." Another guest, Yeleen, who attended the ceremony with her daughter, recounted: "I saw a little girl dressed in white. I saw her hair prepared with curls and a lady picking her up in her arms. "At that moment, I was shocked. I realised when I saw the child. It was atrocious."
