Three hurt, including one child, in theme park ride accident

Three people were hurt in an accident on a ride at a Limburg theme park on Friday. The incident at Sprookjesbos in Valkenburg injured two adults and one child, the Limburg-Zuid Security Region confirmed.

Earlier, a police spokesperson told L1 that four adults and two children were hurt. The Limburg-Zuid Security Region initially said two cars fell from an attraction, but later said one was involved. Two adults and two children sat inside. Both adults and one child were hospitalized in stable condition.

The ride involved was the Ballontoren Calidius, broadcaster NOS said. The attraction is a tower designed to look like gondolas attached to hot air balloons that bring people to a height of roughly 10 meters. The gondola baskets then rotate around the tower.

Records show that the first call to emergency services happened just before 2:45 p.m. Paramedics, police, and fire department crews were quickly dispatched to the scene, along with a trauma team in a helicopter. An additional trauma team was sent from Germany in a helicopter.

Ballontoren Calidius opened on September 11, the Sprookjesbos website stated. Since November, the park allows everyone over 105 centimeters in height to ride independently, and everyone shorter to take part when accompanied by an adult.

The theme park is geared towards families with small children, and was designed with well-known fairy tales in mind, NOS reported. The park first opened in 1950, and was visited by 40,000 people last year.