Senior citizen suffers Waltzer injury at Barry Island Pleasure Park

The woman suffered an arm injury after a piece of a waltzer car headrest flew off and hit her, causing a laceration and suspected fracture.

Witnesses said the woman, believed to be 65 years old, was stood on the steps of the popular ride when the accident happened on Saturday May 7.

Staff and, at least one eyewitness, called for an ambulance and she was taken to hospital where it is believed she was kept in overnight.

The Health & Safety Executive (HSE) confirmed that they were aware of the incident and an investigation was taking place.

The ride re-opened on Sunday, May 8 after modifications and safety checks had been made.

Barry Island Pleasure Park managing director, James Danter said: “This was unfortunately a freak accident. The ride was closed and the HSE plus the Showman’s Guild were contacted straight away.

“After inspection on Sunday morning, modifications were made to all headrests. The ride was allowed to re-open.

“The police were also present on Sunday morning and after speaking to safety officers they were happy for the ride to re-open.

“As a family we are devastated that this has happened.”

A Welsh Ambulance spokeswoman confirmed that the woman was taken to the University Hospital of Wales following the accident.

She added: “This was an ‘amber’ call, so it wasn’t immediately life-threatening. It appears that we arrived on scene shortly after one hour.”

Welsh Ambulance Service’s head of operations in Cardiff and the Vale, Bob Tooby said: “Unfortunately, because of high demand on Saturday, we were unable to respond to some calls as quickly as we would have liked, so we are keen for this patient to contact us directly to understand any concerns she may have about this.”

Pleasure Park bosses said they conduct safety checks daily and have assured visitors that safety is the top priority.

Visitors will now no longer be allowed to stand on the steps while the ride is in progress.