Boy thrown from Antioch carnival ride suffered multiple facial, leg injuries: officials

ANTIOCH, Ill. - A 10-year-old boy who was thrown from a carnival ride during Antioch's Taste of Summer festival on Sunday remains in critical condition, but loved ones said he is showing signs of improvement.

Huntley Daniels was riding Moby Dick, a thrill ride that sends carnival-goers in circular motions through the air at increasing speeds when witnesses said that the boy was ejected from the ride around 2:40 p.m.

Elliot Johnson described being on the ride that sent Daniels to the pavement.

"I saw maybe on the third time around, he almost did a dive, his hands were down and his legs were straight, off the ride and landed outside the entrance gate," Johnson said.

Loved ones said proper safety checks were overlooked.

"No one checked it, no," said Dawne Pohlman, the boy’s grandmother.

Daniels was airlifted to Advocate Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge, then was transferred to Comer Children’s Hospital in Chicago. He suffered multiple facial and jaw fractures and a significant injury to the bones in one leg, village officials said.

While in critical condition, officials said he has stabilized.

"It's supposed to be a fun place, a great place for kids, and honestly, I don't think I would ever want a child to be on a ride like that again," said Pohlman. "I can tell you it was horrific, they’re not holding up mentally very well right now, that’s why I’m here."

Daniels has already undergone at least one surgery, according to Pohlman, who also shared that her grandson was awake and alert on Monday afternoon. She added that he is currently unable to talk due to the extent of his jaw injuries.

"He's very tough, very strong kid," said Pohlman.

Pohlman said attending the event is a summer tradition for their family.

In a gut-wrenching video shared with FOX 32 Chicago by a relative, Daniels’ sister is seen waving to a medical helicopter as her brother was being transferred from a suburban hospital to Comer Children’s Hospital.

As Daniels begins a long road to recovery in the hospital, an investigation is ramping up.

After the incident, Mayor Scott Gartner shut the carnival down, and police secured Moby Dick to prevent tampering until an investigator with the Illinois Department of Labor arrived to conduct an initial inspection of the ride.

The Illinois Department of Labor’s Amusement Ride and Attraction Safety Division is responsible for inspecting and providing permits for public amusement rides in the state. It has joined Antioch police to investigate the accident and determine if any criminal charges will be filed.

"We will be working with the Lake County State’s Attorney to determine if any criminal charges will be appropriate under these circumstances," Antioch Police Chief Guttschow said in a statement.

The Illinois Department of Labor issued a "stop order" on the carnival ride and is conducting a "bolt-by-bolt inspection of the ride prior to it being allowed to resume operation elsewhere."

"The rides that were at our festival did have the annual safety inspections conducted. The ride was reported to be in serviceable condition," said Guttschow. "We are working to determine if this was the result of a mechanical failure, operator failure or a combination of both."

"The carnival was packed, and so a lot of people experienced seeing it," said Charles Smith, operations commander with the Antioch Police Department. "It's a traumatic event for our community."

Erin Maloney said she was waiting with her son to ride Moby Dick.

"I turned and I hear a woman screaming," she said. "And my son said, ‘Mom, look.' I turned around and this little boy was just on the pavement, not moving not responsive."

Gartner said he planned to meet with the village board Monday evening to discuss the incident further.

"We plan to work with the Chamber of Commerce to identify exactly what led to this horrible accident and what we can do to work together to ensure nothing like this will happen again in our community," Gartner said.

Officials said the investigation and a release of the findings will likely take several months to complete.

FOX 32 Chicago, on Monday, made several attempts to reach the ride's operator, All Around Amusement, and the ride’s manufacturer, Wisdom Rides of America, but did not receive a response.

There have been other incidents involving amusement rides this summer.

On July 2, eight people were trapped upside down on a roller coaster at a festival in Crandon, Wisconsin. Days earlier, a large crack was discovered in the support column of Fury 325, a towering roller coaster at Carowinds, an amusement park in Charlotte, North Carolina on June 30.