The Maine fire marshal’s office has released its findings after a 10-year-old boy was injured on a ride at Palace Playland in Old Orchard Beach in July.
The 10-year-old boy fell off the Super Star ride at Palace Playland on July 16, according to state officials
Witnesses described a chaotic scene where the ride kept moving after the boy fell and hit him again while on the ground.
Police said the boy was alert after the fall and was taken to a hospital with injuries not considered life-threatening.
The operator likely didn’t check the strap that kept the lap bar down on the ride. The child then got up and tried to get off the ride right as the ride started, causing him to fall and be hit by the ride, according to investigators.
The boy told investigators that his safety bar was not locked in, and he felt it was unsafe, so he tried to get off the ride as it was starting, according to investigators.
Palace Playland did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The Super Star ride passed inspection when it first started operating earlier this summer, according to the fire marshal’s office.
Records show inspectors did find missing fasteners and an issue with one of the car’s lap bars during the initial inspection. The state said those issues were immediately fixed before the ride was able to run.
