Latest news with #JadeHarrison
Daily Record
10 hours ago
- Daily Record
Woman catapulted from funfair ride at 60mph 'lucky to be alive'
"When I came off my ride I hit the ride next to me. They even said if I had hit that ride differently I would be dead. There was no way of surviving." A woman has said she is "lucky to be alive" after she was thrown into the air from a fairground ride at 60mph. Jade Harrison has spoken about her terrifying experience in October 2019, when the metal safety bar on the Airmaxx 360 ride at Hull Fair malfunctioned. She struck another ride in mid-air and fell to the ground unconscious. The 27-year-old from Hull was left with a fractured jaw and a catalogue of other injuries, and experienced difficulty breathing after the incident. Although an annual visitor to the fair, she wasn't planning to go on any rides until her friend said she wanted to try the Airmaxx 360, known for intense spins and swinging carriages, the Mirror reports. Jade recalled: "I wasn't planning on going on any rides. But my friend wanted to go on the Airmaxx 360. I didn't want to be left on my own." She added: "I watched it go around and I thought no that's alright I'll go on that." However, just 90 seconds after they set off, Jade heard a concerning clicking from her safety bar, but put it to the back of her mind after her friend said they heard the same sound. She said: "I didn't really panic." As the carriage suddenly shifted, her fears returned: "I just remember thinking I don't like that, I don't like that," she explained. "And then it was too late. As soon as the ride started bouncing the bar just gave away." Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. She was flung from the ride, hitting another ride in mid-air before dropping to the ground and losing consciousness. She recalled: "All I remember is the feeling of flipping like you do in a dream when you wake up startled. "When I came to I was laid on the floor next to the ride but everyone was just around me and I was a bit confused. I kind of forgot where I was and what I was doing so it took me a minute to realise what had happened. "Then obviously I started panicking and everyone was telling me to calm down. It felt like ages for the paramedics to get there but in reality it was only about two minutes." Jade was rushed to Hull Royal Infirmary, where medics found her to have a broken jaw requiring surgery to fit metal plates. She also suffered severe nerve damage in her right thigh, which still affects her today, as well as internal bruising, facial wounds and damaged teeth, which were later repaired or removed. She said: "I'm lucky to be alive. The most painful part was my chest. I couldn't sit up or take a deep breath. When I got home, I couldn't get out of bed without my partner's help." Jade stayed in hospital for four days, but was unable to work for nearly a year. Her treatment to restore her teeth continued into 2021, and said the psychological recovery took just as long. She explained: "I was in denial in the beginning. It was hard for me to accept that it happened to me," she admitted. "I would constantly tell myself I'm not going to think about it, I'm not going to think about it. But by doing that I was just delaying pain. "When I think about it deeply and I think how differently it could have gone I think I'm lucky to be alive. When I came off my ride I hit the ride next to me. They even said if I had hit that ride differently I would be dead. There was no way of surviving. "Luckily, I hit the ride the way that I did, so I hit the carriage, rather than the floor or anything else." Following her harrowing ordeal, Jade received a five-figure compensation payment from Taylor's Funfairs, which operated the ride and admitted it was at fault. The Health and Safety Executive shelved its criminal inquiry in 2023. An examination of the Airmaxx 360 revealed the safety bars were "inadequate". The experience has since left Jade terrified of rides. She said: "I would never go on a fairground ride again. I've been on the teacups with my nephew, but that's about as far as I'll go. Anything where my feet leave the ground isn't happening." She still lives with the effects of the incident, admitting it is a "prevalent factor" in her life. She continued: "When I look in the mirror I always notice my leg, my right thigh that is damaged. That's quite a big insecurity to me. That's the main thing that reminds me." As she is unable to have any further surgery on her leg due to it being considered aesthetic, she faces the possibility of not getting paid time off work. She is now calling for stricter measures to ensure similar incidents do not happen in future: "I definitely think something needs to be done to stop this happening. It just doesn't make sense."
Daily Mirror
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Terrifying moment woman was catapulted from UK fairground ride at 60mph
Jade Harrison was thrown from a fairground ride at 60mph and was left with life-altering injuries. The 27-year-old said she is 'lucky to be alive' and has vowed to never step foot on a fairground ride again A 27-year-old woman has miraculously survived a terrifying ordeal after she was flung from a fairground attraction at 60mph. Jade Harrison, 27, said she is "lucky to be alive" after she was ejected from the Airmaxx 360 ride when its metal safety bar malfunctioned. The early years educator, who hails from Hull, suffered a fractured jaw and experienced difficulty breathing after the harrowing event. Before the incident, Jade was an annual visitor to the Hull Fair with her friends and had never tried this particular ride before, reports the Manchester Evening News. "I wasn't planning on going on any rides," she recounted. "But my friend wanted to go on the Airmaxx 360. I didn't want to be left on my own." The dizzying Airmaxx 360 is known for its intense rotations and swinging carriages, reaching high speeds of 60mph. "I watched it go around and I thought no that's alright I'll go on that." However, only 90 seconds into their whirl, Jade overheard a worrying click coming from her seat clamp. She disregarded it after her companion mentioned they'd heard the same noise. "I didn't really panic," she shared. But as the carriage shifted unexpectedly, Jade's concern grew. "I just remember thinking I don't like that, I don't like that," she disclosed. And then it was too late. As soon as the ride started bouncing the bar just gave away." Jade was catapulted from the ride, colliding with another funfair machine mid-flight before plummeting to the ground, where she lost consciousness. "All I remember is the feeling of flipping like you do in a dream when you wake up startled," she recounted. "When I came to I was laid on the floor next to the ride but everyone was just around me and I was a bit confused. I kind of forgot where I was and what I was doing so it took me a minute to realise what had happened. "Then obviously I started panicking and everyone was telling me to calm down. It felt like ages for the paramedics to get there but in reality it was only about two minutes." After being whisked away to Hull Royal Infirmary, doctors discovered she had a broken jaw that needed surgery and metal plates fitted. She also endured severe nerve damage in her right thigh, which is still numb, as well as internal bruising, facial wounds, and damaged teeth that were subsequently removed or repaired. "I'm lucky to be alive," she said. "The most painful part was my chest. I couldn't sit up or take a deep breath. When I got home, I couldn't get out of bed without my partner's help." Jade's hospital stay spanned four days, and she was off work for almost a year following the October 2019 incident. Her dental restoration continued into 2021, and she admits the psychological healing was just as extensive. "I was in denial in the beginning. It was hard for me to accept that it happened to me," she admitted. "I would constantly tell myself I'm not going to think about it, I'm not going to think about it. But by doing that I was just delaying pain. "When I think about it deeply and I think how differently it could have gone I think I'm lucky to be alive. When I came off my ride I hit the ride next to me. They even said if I had hit that ride differently I would be dead. There was no way of surviving. "Luckily, I hit the ride the way that I did, so I hit the carriage, rather than the floor or anything else." Following the ordeal, Jade received a significant five-figure compensation from Taylor's Funfairs, the company that runs the ride, which admitted fault in the incident. The Health and Safety Executive shelved its criminal inquiry in 2023. An examination disclosed that the safety harnesses on the Airmaxx 360 were decidedly "inadequate". Since then, Jade hasn't set foot in a fair again. "I would never go on a fairground ride again," she said. "I've been on the teacups with my nephew, but that's about as far as I'll go. Anything where my feet leave the ground isn't happening." Jade battles the enduring consequences of the incident, which still looms large over her life, even six years afterwards. "It's still a prevalent factor in my life," she confided. "When I look in the mirror I always notice my leg, my right thigh that is damaged. That's quite a big insecurity to me. That's the main thing that reminds me." Unable to undergo additional surgery on her injured leg since it's deemed aesthetic, Jade faces the prospect of not getting time off work paid. She insists on stricter measures to avert such incidents in the future. I definitely think something needs to be done to stop this happening. It just doesn't make sense."
Daily Mirror
3 days ago
- Daily Mirror
Woman flung from popular fairground ride at 60mph 'lucky to be alive'
Jade Harrison was visiting Hull Fair with friends when she was flung from the Airmaxx 360 ride at 60mph, smashing into another attraction before hitting the ground and blacking out A teacher who was thrown from a fairground ride at 60mph while at a fair with friends has admitted she is "lucky to be alive". Jade Harrison was flung from the Airmaxx 360 ride at Hull Fair when a metal bar across her lap gave way. The preschool teacher from Hull was hurled from the ride and smashed into another attraction mid-air before crashing to the ground. The 27-year-old was rushed to Hull Royal Infirmary where she was found to have a broken jaw requiring surgery and metal plates. She also suffered serious nerve damage to her right thigh, which remains numb to this day, as well as internal bruising to her chest, facial injuries and damaged teeth that needed removal and repair. Following the incident in October 2019, Jade received a five-figure settlement from the insurers of the ride's owners, Taylor's Funfairs, who admitted liability for the accident. Speaking about the near-death experience, Jade said she visited the fair every year but had never gone on the Airmaxx 360 before. The Airmaxx 360 spins full circles while lifting and dropping individual carriages, reaching speeds of up to 60mph. 'I watched it go around and I thought no that's alright I'll go on that," Jade said. A minute and a half into the ride, Jade said she heard a strange clicking sound from her seat restraint, but brushed it off when her friend said theirs had done the same. Then the carriage began to shift and changed position. 'I just remember thinking I don't like that, I don't like that," she said. "And then it was too late. As soon as the ride started bouncing the bar just gave away." Jade was hurled from the ride, hitting another attraction mid-air before crashing to the ground. She blacked out instantly. 'All I remember is the feeling of flipping like you do in a dream when you wake up startled," the teacher said. 'When I came to I was laid on the floor next to the ride but everyone was just around me and I was a bit confused. I kind of forgot where I was and what I was doing so it took me a minute to realise what had happened. 'Then obviously I started panicking and everyone was telling me to calm down. It felt like ages for the paramedics to get there but in reality it was only about two minutes.' She added: 'When I came off my ride I hit the ride next to me. They even said if I had hit that ride differently I would be dead. There was no way of surviving. Luckily I hit the ride the way that I did so I hit the carriage, rather than the floor or anything else.' Jade spent four days in hospital and was unable to return to work for nearly a year after the accident in October 2019. She continued to undergo dental work into 2021 and says the mental recovery took just as long. 'I was in denial in the beginning. It was hard for me to accept that it happened to me," Jade said. 'I would constantly tell myself I'm not going to think about it, I'm not going to think about it. But by doing that I was just delaying pain. When I think about it deeply and I think how differently it could have gone I think I'm lucky to be alive." Jade, who was unable to get out of bed without her partner's help, has insisted she will "never go on a fairground ride again". Now living with the lasting effects of her accident, Jade says the incident still impacts her life, six years on. 'It's still a prevalent factor in my life," she said. "When I look in the mirror I always notice my leg, my right thigh that is damaged. That's quite a big insecurity to me. That's the main thing that reminds me.' Jade is unable to have further surgery on her leg, as it is classed as cosmetic surgery, meaning she will be unable to have paid time off work. She believes more must be done to prevent similar accidents. 'I definitely think something needs to be done to stop this happening. It just doesn't make sense," she said. Jade received a five-figure settlement from the insurers of the ride's owners, Taylor's Funfairs, who admitted liability for the accident. A criminal investigation by the Health and Safety Executive was later dropped in 2023. The report found that the safety restraints of the Airmaxx 360 were 'inadequate'.
Daily Mirror
3 days ago
- Daily Mirror
'I was thrown from a fairgound ride at 60mph, I'm lucky to be alive'
Jade, 27, says the last thing she remembers is thinking 'I don't like that' as the ride made a strange clicking noise A woman says she's 'lucky to be alive' after she was thrown from a fairground ride at 60mph. Jade Harrison, 27, was was flung from the Airmaxx 360 ride at Hull Fair when a metal bar across her lap gave way. The preschool teacher from Hull was left with a broken jaw and struggling to breathe. Jade received a five-figure settlement from the insurers of the ride's owners, Taylor's Funfairs, who admitted liability for the accident. She visited the fair every year with her friends, but had never ridden the attraction before. 'I wasn't planning on going on any rides,' Jade said. 'But my friend wanted to go on the Airmaxx 360. I didn't want to be left on my own.' The Airmaxx 360 spins full circles while lifting and dropping individual carriages, reaching speeds of up to 60mph. 'I watched it go around and I thought no that's alright I'll go on that. A minute and a half into the ride, Jade said she heard a strange clicking sound from her seat restraint, but brushed it off when her friend said theirs had done the same. I didn't really panic.' Then the carriage began to shift and changed position. 'I just remember thinking I don't like that, I don't like that. And then it was too late. As soon as the ride started bouncing the bar just gave away." Jade was hurled from the ride, hitting another attraction mid-air before crashing to the ground. She blacked out instantly. 'All I remember is the feeling of flipping like you do in a dream when you wake up startled. When I came to I was laid on the floor next to the ride but everyone was just around me and I was a bit confused. I kind of forgot where I was and what I was doing so it took me a minute to realise what had happened. 'Then obviously I started panicking and everyone was telling me to calm down. It felt like ages for the paramedics to get there but in reality it was only about two minutes.' She was rushed to Hull Royal Infirmary where she was found to have a broken jaw requiring surgery and metal plates. She also suffered serious nerve damage to her right thigh, which remains numb to this day, as well as internal bruising to her chest, facial injuries and damaged teeth that needed removal and repair. 'The most painful part was my chest,' she said. 'I couldn't sit up or take a deep breath. When I got home, I couldn't get out of bed without my partner's help.' Jade spent four days in hospital and was unable to return to work for nearly a year after the accident in October 2019. She continued to undergo dental work into 2021 and says the mental recovery took just as long. 'I was in denial in the beginning. It was hard for me to accept that it happened to me. I would constantly tell myself I'm not going to think about it, I'm not going to think about it. But by doing that I was just delaying pain. 'When I think about it deeply and I think how differently it could have gone I think I'm lucky to be alive.' 'When I came off my ride I hit the ride next to me. They even said if I had hit that ride differently I would be dead. There was no way of surviving. Luckily I hit the ride the way that I did so I hit the carriage, rather than the floor or anything else.' Jade received a five-figure settlement from the insurers of the ride's owners, Taylor's Funfairs, who admitted liability for the accident. A criminal investigation by the Health and Safety Executive was later dropped in 2023. The report found that the safety restraints of the Airmaxx 360 were 'inadequate'. She hasn't returned to a fairground since. 'I would never go on a fairground ride again.' she said. 'I've been on the teacups with my nephew, but that's about as far as I'll go. Anything where my feet leave the ground isn't happening.' Now living with the lasting effects of her accident, Jade says the incident still impacts her life, six years on. 'It's still a prevalent factor in my life. When I look in the mirror I always notice my leg, my right thigh that is damaged. 'That's quite a big insecurity to me. That's the main thing that reminds me.' Jade is unable to have further surgery on her leg, as it is classed as cosmetic surgery, meaning she will be unable to have paid time off work. She believes more must be done to prevent similar accidents. 'I definitely think something needs to be done to stop this happening. It just doesn't make sense.'
Scottish Sun
16-06-2025
- Scottish Sun
Woman relives horror moment she was flung from deadly 60mph funfair ride after slipping out her harness
A WOMAN who was thrown from a fairground ride "like a ragdoll" at 60mph recalled the horror moment she slipped from her harness. Jade Harrison suffered serious injuries and could "barely walk" after she woke up from the devastating accident in Hull. 3 Jade Harrison described the moment she was thrown from a ride at the Hull Fair Credit: BBC 3 Jade suffered serious injuries and could "barely walk" Credit: MEN Media The 27-year-old nursery nurse used to go to the Hull Fair every year. But in 2019, she boarded the Airmaxx 360 ride and just minutes in, she began to slip out of her seat. She heard a "clicking noise" on her safety restraint and fell out, flying through the air and hitting another ride. She told BBC Panorama that when she opened her eyes, she had no memory of where she was or what had happened. Jade said: "I heard a clicking noise in my bar. The ride was going for about a minute and a half, then the carriage changed position. "That's the last concrete thing I remember. I could feel myself slip. I just woke up and I was laid on the floor on my back, and I remember thinking 'what's going on?' "I had a bit of amnesia. I was panicking, I could feel that something wasn't right in my mouth - it felt like all my teeth had gone." But she was covered in black and purple bruises and could "barely walk" due to her injuries. She broke her jaw, damage to her teeth, internal bruising and severe damage to both thighs. At the time, Jade said she woke up, surrounded by strangers and at first she thought she was in a dream. "People have said I looked like I was dead, with my eyes open. I thought it was a dream, I gave it a minute and then realised it wasn't a dream and that's when I started to panic and people were telling me not to move. "I just remember seeing silver, as if it was the floor, I would have said I fell out and dropped straight to the ground below, I didn't know I had been flown through the air like a ragdoll until my mum told me in hospital." Surgeons were forced to remove some of her teeth and put three metal plates in her jaw which will remain there for the rest of her life. Ben Corran, 18, was crushed when Jade landed on him after falling from her seat. He was on the neighbouring ride "The Sizzler" when Jade collided with him. The force knocked his head back and he was crushed by his metal harness. The teenager was trapped in the ride, and when he was eventually freed he spent the night in the hospital, and asked his parents to send flowers to Jade. According to his dad, Ben used to be a "daredevil" but the ordeal has left him terrified of rides and he even feels nervous being "trapped" in a car by his seat belt. Jade was paid compensation from the ride's owners but she was horrified to find out that a child had died on the same ride in 2014. An eight-year-old girl was flung from the AirMaxx 360 in Australia and tragically died. She was 3cm shorter than the height requirement for the ride. The ride in Australia was never used again after Adelene Leong's horrifying death - but it was sold to a UK owner in 2017. The coroner found that the machine's safety was poor, especially the locking mechanism on the restraints. The HSE's investigation into the ride after the accident in Hull found that the "mechanical design of primary and secondary locks that are intended to prevent movement of the restraint was found to be inadequate". Jade and Adelene are just two of thousands who have been seriously hurt or killed on fairground rides. Between April 2014 and March 2014, there were 3,188 injuries in theme parks., according to an FOI request. The BBC reported that there were 350 in 2023-2024. Funfair rides are supposed to be thoroughly inspected every year for any faults. In 2001, Gemma Savage was killed when two cars collided on the Twister Ride in the Lightwater Valley theme park. The park was ordered to pay a £35,000 fine plus £40,000 costs for health and safety breaches over the 20-year-old's death. And chaos again erupted at the same ride at the theme park near Ripon, North Yorkshire, in 2019 when a seven-year-old boy dangled from a roller coaster before falling to the ground. Gemma's mum said at the time: "The ride was not fit for purpose 18 years ago and it is still causing problems. "The accident that killed Gemma devastated our family and our thoughts and prayers are with the family of the young boy who was injured." Hayley Williams, 16, tragically fell to her death while riding Hydro at Oakwood Theme Park in Pembrokeshire, Wales, in April 2004. The ride was closed for a year before reopening with new safety measures, before being later renamed Drenched in 2011. Owners of the theme park were fined £250,000 over the death of Hayley, a Sunday school teacher, who had been visiting on a family outing. Now, Drenched is being dismantled for good after Hayley's heartbroken parents campaigned for better safety standards at parks across the UK. Last year, riders on a rollercoaster were left terrified and 'stuck" after a structural beam fell onto the track. The incident happened at 3.25pm on October 25, 2024, on the Monkey Mayhem ride at West Midlands Safari Park. A metal structural beam from the ride is said to have fallen onto the track before the rollercoaster came to an emergency stop and closed. Regal Smith, 27 - who was at the park with their son - said people started "screaming" and "running away" from the ride. They said two people - who looked like a mother and son - were stuck on the ride before a rescue team were able to bring them down.
