A carnival ride in Washington left six people injured after it “tipped over,” according to the city of Oak Harbor.
In a release shared on social media, the city said it closed down its Independence Day Street Festival earlier this week after a ride injured attendees. “Affected individuals were treated onsite for minor injuries,” Oak Harbor said.
After the ride was “promptly secured and shut down to ensure the safety of all attendees,” the city said that the annual event would not continue for the remainder of the holiday weekend as the city and vendor would work together to “determine the cause of the incident.”
“We are committed to ensuring the safety and well-being of our residents and visitors,” Police Chief Tony Slowik said in a statement. “Our priority is to thoroughly investigate this incident and take all necessary measures to maintain the highest safety standards.”
However, the city’s Chamber of Commerce said in another announcement that the carnival had reopened following a “comprehensive inspection” by S.A. Consulting Services, LLC. A parade, vendor booths, entertainment and a beer garden also remained open as planned.
“In partnership with the City of Oak Harbor, Paradise Amusements, and an L&I approved third party inspector, precautions have been taken to reopen the carnival for the remainder of the weekend,” the social media update said.
“The safety and well-being of our guests has always been our top priority and we have worked diligently to ensure that the carnival is safe for everyone to enjoy,” the statement continued.
According to local NBC affiliate KING-TV, a “Cyclone” ride was disassembled and packed into a semi-truck on Thursday morning.
Kevin Williams, a child who rode the ride the day before the accident, told KING-TV that it “made this weird noise” when festival-goers were waiting to ride it. “I told my mom, ‘Oh, that sounded dangerous,’ ” he said. “It kind of sounded like it would pop out of place and something bad would happen.”
The daughter of another local woman, Kim Newcomb, told her mom that “the motor sounded weird, like there was some kind of clicking noise” when she was riding it, per KING-TV.
Alex Bennett, who photographed the mishap, told Storyful that her son was riding the chair swing ride the moment it tipped. She said it “could have been way worse.”
“That was my priority to get him out, and then I ran back to help a woman who had hurt her leg/knee while my husband was getting another person who was stuck in a seat unstuck,” Bennett added.
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
The latest carnival mishap comes just weeks after a theme park ride in Oregon left several people hanging upside down for more than 20 minutes on June 14. While riding Portland’s Oaks Amusement Park’s AtmosFEAR, 28 passengers were upside down in its “apex position” after the ride stopped in its place. Portland Fire & Rescue then arrived at the scene and all riders were removed.
“We wish to express our deepest appreciation to the first responders and our staff for taking prompt action, leading to a positive outcome today, and to the rest of the park guests who swiftly followed directions to vacate the park to make way for the emergency responders to attend to the situation,” park officials wrote in a statement. “Most of all, we are thankful that the riders are safe and with their families.”
