A seven-year-old boy and his 44-year-old mother were seriously injured at the Ayia Napa amusement park on Friday night after their swing collided with another ride, police said.
According to authorities, at approximately 10:30pm the mother and son, who were on holiday from Russia, were on a ride at Parko Paliatso, when part of the swing on the Star Flyer carousel they were on hit into the pole of another ride. The carousel was reportedly going too fast, making the swing take on too wide an angle and taking it too close to the next ride.
The boy suffered an exposed fracture on his right leg, while the mother lacerated her left knee, broke her right hand and suffered concussion.
The mother and son were taken to a private clinic in Ayia Napa, but due to the severity of their condition they were transferred to a private clinic in Limassol, where doctors managed to save the boy’s leg from being amputated.
Police spokesperson for Famagusta Andreas Constantinou said that the pair are in serious condition, but not in danger.
He added checks were being run on the ride, and that the ride had recently been examined.
The park has all the required licences, Constantinou said, adding that they were taking witness statements about the incident.
In a statement, Parko Paliatso said that they were upset by the incident, but insisted they follow all safety regulations. They said initial investigations suggested the accident was a result of human error.
It said a team was put to together to investigate the accident as soon as it happened.
“We are obliged to emphasise that from initial investigations, it seems to have occurred from a human error in [the ride’s] use,” the park said.
The statement said that the park had taken on all the medical costs for the pair.
“Our company follows and faithfully applies the safety rules set by TUV NORD (Technical Inspection Association), a widely recognised German authority for security controls and product certification. TUV NORD inspects our company and our equipment on an annual basis,” the statement said.
Police are continuing their investigations in conjunction with the Labour Inspection department, to see exactly how the swing could have hit into another ride.