Four children had to be rescued by emergency services after spending around three hours trapped on a carnival ride in Waurn Ponds on Saturday.
The ride, named Freestyle, at the Chants Summer Carnival malfunctioned about 2pm on Saturday, leaving four children stuck on the ride, one pair 35 metres above the ground.
After ride operators were unable to get the children back to the ground, emergency services were called.
A Fire Rescue Victoria spokesperson said a joint operation with CFA, Victoria Police and carnival management saw a cherry picker used to rescue the children one at a time.
“The two children suspended 35 metres in the air were safely returned to the ground at 4.30pm,” the spokesperson said.
“The remaining two children who were suspended several metres in the air though significantly closer to ground level were freed at 4.53pm and 5.06pm respectively.”
On social media on Saturday night, Chants Summer Carnival said the malfunction had been caused by “gearbox issue”.
“The ride is currently being dismantled and taken away to have its gearbox replaced,” it said.
“Maintenance and safety of all our machines are our main priority at all times.
“We would like to thank the families involved, emergency services and Worksafe for their immediate assistance, patience and understanding throughout today.
“It is unfortunate that this has happened, but rest assured all steps will be taken to re-open safely.”
The carnival was closed on Saturday but reopened on Sunday.
Worksafe is investigating.
