British ColumbiaTechnical Safety B.C. says in an investigation report into the May 31 incident that the patron fell about two metres when the Zipper ride was activated prematurely during unloading, which “ejected the unsecured rider onto the ground below.”Technical Safety B.C. report found that child was helping operate ride when parent had left to ‘wash up’The Canadian Press · Posted: Nov 12, 2025 7:39 PM EST | Last Updated: 3 hours agoListen to this articleEstimated 3 minutesThe audio version of this article is generated by text-to-speech, a technology based on artificial intelligence.A Zipper carnival ride is seen in Port Hardy, B.C., in this screengrab from a Technical Safety B.C. report. (Technical Safety B.C.)A safety agency says a nine-year-old child was helping operate a carnival ride in Port Hardy, B.C., this spring when an intoxicated woman fell from a carriage and broke several bones.Technical Safety B.C. says in an investigation report into the May 31 incident that the patron fell about two metres when the Zipper ride was activated prematurely during unloading, which “ejected the unsecured rider onto the ground below.”It says the same patron had been thrown out of the carnival the day before, noting that drunk patrons are a “common” problem at carnivals.”It was common practice to not ‘disallow’ intoxicated patrons to ride to prevent conflict between patrons and attendants,” the report says.In the Technical Safety B.C. report, the hoisted Zipper car is seen at the height where the drunk passenger fell. (Technical Safety B.C.)The report says the nine-year-old ride attendant was loading and unloading the Zipper because their father, the carnival’s foreman, had left to “wash up.”Technical Safety B.C. says the child described the passenger who fell as “half asleep and half awake,” but the young attendant wasn’t confident or assertive enough to stop the visibly intoxicated woman from going on the ride. The report also says that the passenger and their companion had a bottle of alcohol with them when they boarded.It says when the ride was being unloaded, one passenger disembarked successfully, but the intoxicated woman took longer, and was unrestrained with the door open when the ride was activated to move the next carriage into the deboarding position.A warning sign on the ride indicates that anyone who is under the influence of drugs or alcohol should not board. (Technical Safety B.C.)The summary of an interview with the child’s father says, “The child explained to their mother and the RCMP that when they were loading the lady was taking forever to get out.”The report, issued last month, lists contributing factors including that attendants have “no formal training” on dealing with drunk passengers, the child attendant’s inexperience, and the lack of a mechanical override preventing activation of the 52-year-old Zipper when restraints had been opened. WATCH | Worker killed at Prince Rupert carnival:Man dies at Prince Rupert Summer Carnival, RCMP sayRCMP say a man has died at the Prince Rupert Summer Carnival on the night of Aug. 26. Police say they responded around 10:40 p.m. to a report of an injured man at the event where he was found unconscious. The man was found near one of the rides and was later pronounced dead. Prince Rupert RCMP say they are investigating and working with WorkSafe BC. Mission-based Shooting Star Amusements was the operator of the carnival at the time of the incident in May, and CBC News has reached out to the company for this story.The company was also operating a Zipper ride at the Prince Rupert Summer Carnival in late August, when a worker was killed while working on a Zipper ride.According to witness accounts, he was hit in the head by the ride on the opening night of the carnival, although details of what happened have not been shared by officials, as investigations are underway.The Zipper ride was prohibited from being used at the touring carnival’s next stop in Terrace after the worker’s death.With files from CBC News
Child was unloading B.C. carnival Zipper ride when drunk patron fell and broke bones: report
