By Khalida Sarwari
State inspectors are examining a Ferris wheel at San Jose’s “Christmas in the Park” that was shut down after a piece of the ride came loose and fell on Sunday.
Around 2 p.m., a rivet that connects a small metal box attached to an 8-foot-long strip of LED lights to one of the Ferris wheel’s arms came loose, said Lance Moyer, vice president of operations at Butler Amusements, the company that operates the ride.
The box and strip of lights fell onto the “bonnet” of a gondola below and broke a 10-inch piece of fiberglass, Moyer said.
He said no one was injured, and that the only two people on the ride — an adult and child — were taken off safely.
The ride was immediately shut down for inspection and repairs, and remained closed for the rest of the day. New rivets were added, and secondary cables were installed around each box as a precaution, Moyer said.
He said it is unclear what caused the malfunction, but said the incident was the first such problem in the company’s 40-year history.
“We don’t know why it broke. Fatigue, maybe. Rust,” Moyer said. “There are a lot of variables.”
He said the rides are inspected regularly by the state and daily by the company’s own personnel.
“We have a very good safety record. We wouldn’t be in business for 40 years if we didn’t,” he said. “I put children of my own on the rides.”
Moyer said the Ferris wheel would reopen at 4 p.m. today.
