A day of fun at the Florida State Fair took a frightful turn for one family when a 7-year-old girl fell roughly 40 feet from a ride over the weekend.
The girl, whose name hasn't been released, was on the fair's Sky Tram attraction Saturday evening with two other family members under the age of 10 when the incident occurred, according to the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office.
As the chair lift-style ride was traveling across the fairgrounds, the girl slipped under the gondola's safety bar and fell between 35 and 40 feet to a grassy field below, police said.
The girl was rushed to a local hospital where she was treated for a broken wrist and minor cuts and bruises, the sheriff's office reported. She's now at home recovering.
The fair's executive director acknowledged the incident, saying the safety of guests continues to be a top priority.
After a brief investigation, sheriff's investigators determined the incident was an accident. State inspectors said the ride, which has a 48-inch height requirement, was working properly and that human error may have contributed to the accident, FOX 13 News reported.
"All the carriers were inspected, all the lap bars were working as they're required to work, and they all locked and latched," Allan Harrison, bureau chief of the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services fair rides inspection division, told the station.
"Sometimes it's people not following instructions. Maybe they're not holding on. You could have it where a restraint wasn't secure on the patron and they fell out because of that," Harrison added.
Investigators are still trying to determine exactly what led to the girl falling out of the ride. No charges are expected to be filed.
The family-themed ride was temporarily shut down during the investigation, but has since reopened.
The Florida State Fair runs through February 21.
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