Young mother’s horror as fairground chair breaks at 200ft: ‘We were clinging to the ropes at the side’

A terrified 23-year-old thought she would plunge to her death, when part of her fairground chair broke off mid-ride.

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by Jessica Anais Rach |
Published on

Darcy Gordon was riding the spinning chairs ride at a Christmas festival in St Andrew Square, Edinburgh, when part of her seat broke off and plunged 60 metres onto the roof of the ride’s box office last Friday.

The young mother and her friend Chris Cardwell were forced to hold on to the remaining part of the seat, as the Star Flyer ride continued to spin.

Darcy, from Motherwell, has accused organisers of neglect, saying:

‘I was sure I was going to die-I was waiting for us to fall or fly off into a building'

‘It was the scariest experience of my life but they were more concerned about getting me away. We had just got to the top when I felt the back of the seat come away. The ride kept on going, though, and we were clinging to the ropes at the side.

‘I didn’t want to lean back as I thought there was no back left.

‘I was sure I was going to die – I was waiting for us to fall or fly off into a building or something.’

The 60-metre tall Star Flyer ride

And the traumatised fair-goer reportedly got little sympathy from staff following the incident, adding:

‘They just kept saying, “Keep walking”. I couldn’t move, I was in so much shock.’

An Edinburgh’s Christmas spokesman previously insisted: ‘At no point was the safety of customers jeopardised.’

Inspections have now declared the ride safe.

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