GROVETOWN, Ga. — A chair-swing ride at the Columbia County Fall Fair, just outside Augusta, stayed closed Tuesday after sheriff’s deputies said three riders were hurt over the weekend. The fair itself remains open through Nov. 15.
The ride is called the Flying Circus. It seats passengers in chair-shaped harnesses hanging from cables, spins them and lifts them as high as 30 feet using a central hydraulic lift. According to a Columbia County Sheriff’s Office incident report, a 25-year-old woman told deputies Saturday that a swing struck her in the head. She was treated for a laceration at Piedmont Hospital Augusta, and two juvenile riders reported bruises.
Witnesses pointed to two 13-year-old passengers, the report said. The ride attendant ordered them over a loudspeaker to stop twisting in their seats, and the teens then began pushing other swings, which sent riders colliding. Sheriff’s Maj. Andy Shedd said a state safety-fire inspector working under the insurance commissioner looked over the closed ride, and the case involving the two 13-year-olds is expected to go before Columbia County Juvenile Court.
The rest of the fair is running as planned. It is held at 5462 Columbia Road in Grovetown, and the Merchants Association of Columbia County puts it on every year. Entry costs $10 for most guests, while kids 6 or younger are free. Unlimited ride tickets are $25 Monday through Thursday and $30 on Friday through Sunday, and riders need to stand at least 36 inches tall.
Military members pay $2.50 on Veterans Day, Wednesday, Nov. 11, and all rides are free during the noon hour on Saturday, Nov. 14. The fair opens at 5 p.m. on weekdays, at noon on Saturday and at 1 p.m. on Sunday. After 7 p.m., anyone under 17 needs a parent or guardian with valid ID, and no one can re-enter after 9 p.m.
Section: More Augusta GA crime news
Filed under: Augusta GA Public Safety News
