A 10-year-old boy sustained “significant injuries” and needed to be airlifted to a hospital after he was thrown from a carnival ride in northern Illinois.
The incident occurred at the Antioch Taste of Summer around 2:40 p.m. Sunday when the child, identified Monday as Huntley Daniels, was on the Moby Dick ride.
The ride locks patrons in at the shoulders in a long row and goes up and down while rotating at different speeds.
Antioch police said in a statement that officers and firefighters “discovered an injured 10-year-old child who appeared to have been thrown from a carnival ride.”
Huntley was airlifted to a hospital about 40 miles away before being airlifted to a children’s hospital in Chicago, about 60 miles south of Antioch, “because of the extent of his injuries.”
He “suffered multiple facial and jaw fractures and a significant injury to the bones in one leg,” according to Antioch police.
After consulting with cops, fire and other officials, Antioch Mayor Scott Gartner ordered all rides at the carnival shut down.
Witness Erin Maloney told the Associated Press she was in line for the ride at the time of the incident.
“I turned and I hear a woman screaming,” she said. “And my son said, ‘Mom, look.’ I turned around and this little boy was just on the pavement, not moving not responsive.”
Officials told NBC Chicago on Monday that the boy was undergoing surgery on Monday and was listed as in critical but stable condition. His injuries are not considered life-threatening.
Antioch police and the Illinois Department of Labor are investigating the incident and will determine whether any criminal charges are filed.
The incident came two weeks after roller coaster riders were suspended upside down for several hours because of a mechanical failure at a carnival in Crandon, Wis.