Cumberland —
CUMBERLAND — The 17-year-old Mount Savage girl who was injured at the Allegany County Fair & Ag Expo Saturday night is recovering, said her dad, Dave Turner.
Turner said that around 10 p.m., he and his wife got a call that their daughter was shocked from a cable extending from Florida-based Reithoffer Shows’ new ride, the Tornado.
“We went to the hospital. She has some burns on her hand and some on her arm,” said Turner, adding that the electric charge exited out her kneecap and she now has a bruise-type mark on that spot.
His daughter’s boyfriend told him that after they finished riding the Tornado, the victim dropped her cell phone and when she reached down to pick it up, she slipped and touched the cable.
“She said, ‘Dad, I couldn’t scream for help and I couldn’t do anything,’” said Turner.
Turner said that his daughter was not able to let go of the cable, at which point an employee tried to pull her off. Afterward, Turner said that the boyfriend, who graduated with a concentration in electrical work, knew that she had sustained an electrical injury and called 911.
Fair manager Kevin Kamauf said that officials called the Maryland Department of Labor, which oversees amusement ride safety. Kamauf confirmed that the ride operator pulled the victim off the cable.
The next morning, amusement ride inspector Rob Gavel came from Baltimore to inspect the ride and deemed it safe.
Turner questioned why it took more than 10 hours for the ride to be inspected.
“Why aren’t these inspectors here?” asked Turner. “It was 10 hours before he came up here.”
Turner said that when Gavel came to see his daughter in the hospital Sunday that he said there was a cable loose but that it could have come loose as a result of the shocking.
Mike Raia, spokesman for the Department of Labor, said that on average each year, 44,000 rides are inspected and of those rides in the 2010 to 2011 fiscal years, 2,000 had violations, 1,900 of which were fixed on site.
“The safety record that the state has because of the proaction inspection process ... last year there was only one accident and four incidents,” said Raia.
Raia also said that before each fair, carnival or amusement park opens, that each ride is thoroughly inspected.
“This is an opportunity to remind folks when enjoying rides this summer, rides across the state have been inspected by ride inspectors,” said Raia. “Unfortunately, there are still accidents and incidents.”
Following posted guidelines and listening to operators is also a good way to avoid accidents.
“(That) is the safest way to make sure everyone is enjoying the summer,” said Raia.
Raia added that since the investigation on the incident is still ongoing, he could not comment on what caused the problem.
Turner, a hospital employee, said now they are just monitoring his daughter’s vital signs and kidneys, because kidney problems are common in people who have sustained electrical shock. Turner said they will meet with a plastic surgeon to discuss some of the options for her hand as well, which is still fully functioning.
Emily Newman can be contacted at enewman@times-news.com.
Local News
Electrical shock cause of accident that injured Mt. Savage teen at fair
17-year-old suffers burns on hand, arms
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