A theme park ride left a teenager injured after he was thrown out of his seat, as the 360 degree swing reached its maximum height.
Eyewitnesses watched in horror as the 13-year-old fell, landing hard on the ground, breaking a leg and two fingers. The 360 degree Pendulum swing was in motion, beginning slowly then picking up speed like it was supposed to. It swung completely upside down with people seen hanging from their seats as expected, but as it began to move back down the youngster fell from his seat, he was seen to be clinging on to the ride.
As the attraction picked up speed once again and prepared to make another turn, the young boy swung with it. His legs flailed through the air before he suddenly disappeared out of view and the ride operator immediately stopped the attraction.
The unnamed teen fell from a height of around one-and-a-half to two metres. He was rushed to a hospital and it was found that he’d broken three bones at the ride in Jatim Park in Indonesia.
Police ordered the theme park to temporarily suspend operations of the Pendulum ride. They immediately investigated the scene and asked for statements from several eyewitnesses, according to AKP Rudi Kuswoyo, Head of the Batu Police Criminal Investigation Unit.
The boy went to Jatim Park, in Batu, East Java, Indonesia, with three friends on April 8. According to Mr Kuswoyo, the accident took place at around 4pm, and the teenager affected was sitting in seat number five.
He has said that before the ride operated, staff ran the required security checks including checking the condition of the seat belts, and that they worked correctly. Mr Kuswoyo confirmed that seat five’s belt had been checked before it suddenly malfunctioned. The investigation is still ongoing and the teenager is recovering.
Jawa Timur Park Group Marketing and Public Relations Manager Titik S Ariyanto said: “This ride has been operating for 14 years and there have never been any problems. Therefore, we are currently still waiting for further investigation to find out what caused this incident to occur.”
It comes after similarly shocking footage emerged from a popular Easter fair, appearing to show a child’s seatbelt coming undone during a ride on a slingshot attraction. The ride, known for its high-speed launches that catapult riders into the air, was at the annual 2025 Syndey Royal Easter Show in Australia when the chilling incident happened.
Speaking on Today on Friday morning, Shane McGrath, Head of Operations for the Easter Show, expressed his concern over the incident and confirmed that immediate action had been taken. He said: “I’m really disappointed by what I saw in that footage. But I want to assure everyone that at no point was the child in any danger.”
He explained that the ride in question is a Class Five device equipped with three independent locking mechanisms to ensure passenger safety. “The over-the-shoulder restraint was engaged, and the ride cannot operate without it,” he said.
In addition to the primary restraint, the ride also features a secondary lap bar and a third seatbelt—the latter appearing to have failed in the footage. “Unfortunately, what we’re seeing is a failure in that third seatbelt,” Mr McGrath said. The child’s mother was promptly contacted, and both SafeWork NSW and the Show’s carnival safety consultants were immediately informed to investigate the incident.
SafeWork NSW confirmed they were aware of the incident that occurred over the weekend, and said no one was injured. “SafeWork NSW is working with the Royal Agricultural Society and continuing to make inquiries,” a spokesperson for SafeWork NSW said in a statement to NewsWire.
“SafeWork NSW is working closely with the Sydney Royal Easter Show event organisers to ensure the safety of more than 800,000 expected visitors, with inspectors and engineers conducting thorough inspections and enforcing strict safety compliance. This Easter, SafeWork NSW has issued 23 notices to protect families and workers by addressing safety risks to ensure all rides, stalls, and activities meet strict safety standards.”
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