Teen girl injured on bungee jump at Riverton fair
from: trib.com
By BENJAMIN STORROW Star-Tribune staff writer
June 04, 2013
Fremont County,CO--The bungee jump at the Fremont County Fairgrounds was not inspected by fair or local officials prior to an accident that sent a 16-year-old girl to a Denver hospital with a serious head injury Friday.
Wyoming has no statewide regulations governing ride safety at fairs and carnivals, an absence that left some local officials wondering Tuesday if more safety measures were needed as the summer carnival season approaches.
“As far as I know there is no inspection that goes on here, at all,” said Riverton City Manager Steven Weaver. “There is no inspection from the city, or any permit from the city to allow them to do that.”
The girl, who was not identified, was injured when she hit the padding at the base of the bungee jump and then rolled off the contraption, striking her head on the asphalt surface below, said Fremont County Fair and Rodeo Director Barney Cosner. The girl was in stable condition, Riverton Police Capt. C.T. Smith said Tuesday.
Fair officials were unable to determine why she rolled off the pad, which is typically used to propel riders into the air, Cosner said. They ultimately decided to take it down and the ride was shipped back to the manufacturer on Saturday, he said.
The Riverton fair, dubbed the “Fremont County Spring Spectacular,” opened Friday and ran through Sunday. The carnival’s operator, North Star Amusement, did not return a request for comment.
Counties and municipalities are given the option of conducting safety inspections under state statute, but they are not mandatory.
Criss Crozier, executive secretary of the Wyoming Association of Fairs, said Wyoming does not have statewide regulations relating to ride safety.
“It’s different in each county,” she said.
Cosner said Fremont County fair officials did not check the jump prior to the accident. Such inspections are now left to the carnival operator, he said. Cosner was unsure if increased regulations would increase ride safety.
read more:
http://trib.com/news/state-and-regional/teen-girl-injured-on-bungee-jump-at-riverton-fair/article_e92ed3eb-9836-55e1-8410-a895b97e4838.html
By BENJAMIN STORROW Star-Tribune staff writer
June 04, 2013
Fremont County,CO--The bungee jump at the Fremont County Fairgrounds was not inspected by fair or local officials prior to an accident that sent a 16-year-old girl to a Denver hospital with a serious head injury Friday.
Wyoming has no statewide regulations governing ride safety at fairs and carnivals, an absence that left some local officials wondering Tuesday if more safety measures were needed as the summer carnival season approaches.
“As far as I know there is no inspection that goes on here, at all,” said Riverton City Manager Steven Weaver. “There is no inspection from the city, or any permit from the city to allow them to do that.”
The girl, who was not identified, was injured when she hit the padding at the base of the bungee jump and then rolled off the contraption, striking her head on the asphalt surface below, said Fremont County Fair and Rodeo Director Barney Cosner. The girl was in stable condition, Riverton Police Capt. C.T. Smith said Tuesday.
Fair officials were unable to determine why she rolled off the pad, which is typically used to propel riders into the air, Cosner said. They ultimately decided to take it down and the ride was shipped back to the manufacturer on Saturday, he said.
The Riverton fair, dubbed the “Fremont County Spring Spectacular,” opened Friday and ran through Sunday. The carnival’s operator, North Star Amusement, did not return a request for comment.
Counties and municipalities are given the option of conducting safety inspections under state statute, but they are not mandatory.
Criss Crozier, executive secretary of the Wyoming Association of Fairs, said Wyoming does not have statewide regulations relating to ride safety.
“It’s different in each county,” she said.
Cosner said Fremont County fair officials did not check the jump prior to the accident. Such inspections are now left to the carnival operator, he said. Cosner was unsure if increased regulations would increase ride safety.
read more:
http://trib.com/news/state-and-regional/teen-girl-injured-on-bungee-jump-at-riverton-fair/article_e92ed3eb-9836-55e1-8410-a895b97e4838.html
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