Ride malfunctions during opening day of NC State Fair: Department of Labor

RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) — Opening day at the NC State Fair hit a snag for some fairgoers when one of the rides malfunctioned during use, according to the North Carolina Department of Labor.

In a statement to CBS 17, the Director of Communications for the NC Department of Labor, John Wesley Waugh, said:

“A minor computer fault occurred on the Vertigo ride. The safety systems functioned exactly as intended — the ride came to a controlled stop, allowing for the safe and timely manual departure of all patrons. At no point was anyone at risk.”

According to the NC Department of Labor, a ride supervisor arrived within minutes of the ride malfunctioning to help out the operator.

The NC Department of Labor said they started the manual lowering process as soon as possible and that all riders were safely brought down between five and ten minutes.

“Safety is our highest priority,” Waugh said. “Our inspection team has contributed over 800 man-hours to ride oversight at the State Fair, conducting daily operational safety checks on every ride from open to close. We remain committed to maintaining a safe and enjoyable environment for all fairgoers.”

According to the NC Department of Labor, inspectors were on-site to observe the ride being lowered and determined it was safe to resume operation.