GrandWest announced that the popular Fun Park pop-up planned for the school holidays is closed until further notice.
This decision came after a malfunction occurred with one of the swing rides at the weekend which left nine riders with minor injuries.
“Five of the riders who were checked out by paramedics refused hospital attention. Four riders were sent to the hospital for overnight observation but thankfully they were released the next morning (Monday 1 July) with no serious injuries to report,” Mervyn Naidoo, general manager of GrandWest said.
According to Naidoo, Fun Park is an independent company which has operated the event safely for several years, at GrandWest and at other locations.
The required clearance documents and signed-off plans were approved by structural engineers.
GrandWest awaits the results of its investigation into the incident.
“The other rides all worked according to specifications, but GrandWest will not permit the event to continue operating until a complete reassessment has been fully undertaken by the Fun Park event owners,” Naidoo said.
“From the number of calls that we have received, we know that there are many disappointed visitors, but in a choice between leisure and safety, the management of GrandWest will always choose safety,” said Naidoo.
GrandWest’s public relations spokesperson, Enid Vickers, said the riders were adults, not children and that rides are being assessed by engineers to see if all or part of the Fun Park can reopen.
