Shocking footage has emerged from a popular Easter fair appearing to show the buckle of a lap seatbelt coming undone during a ride on a slingshot attraction.
The incident took place on the ride, known for its high-speed launches that catapult riders into the air, at the annual 2025 Sydney Royal Easter Show in Australia. Speaking on Today on Friday morning, Shane McGrath, Head of Operations for the Easter Show, expressed his concern over the incident and confirmed that immediate action had been taken.
“I’m really disappointed by what I saw in that footage,” Mr McGrath said. “But I want to assure everyone that at no point was the child in any danger.”
He explained that the ride in question is a Class Five device equipped with three independent locking mechanisms to ensure passenger safety. “The over-the-shoulder restraint was engaged, and the ride cannot operate without it,” he said.
In addition to the primary restraint, the ride also features a secondary lap bar and a third seatbelt—the latter appearing to have failed in the footage. “Unfortunately, what we’re seeing is a failure in that third seatbelt,” Mr McGrath said.
The child’s mother was promptly contacted, and both SafeWork NSW and the Show’s carnival safety consultants were immediately informed to investigate the incident.
“They’re satisfied with the steps we’ve taken,” he noted. “We take amusement ride safety very seriously and exceed the legislative requirements in place.”
All rides at the Sydney Royal Easter Show are inspected by engineers prior to operation. McGrath added that the event also employs a dedicated carnival safety team and works with an international ride training company to maintain the highest safety standards for ride operators.
Despite the incident, the slingshot ride is expected to continue operating over the weekend.
“It’s been running smoothly for the past four or five days,” Mr McGrath said. “The incident occurred last weekend, and we remain supremely confident in the ride’s safety. It’s been a mainstay at the Easter Show for decades.”
SafeWork NSW confirmed they were aware of the incident that occurred over the weekend, and said no one was injured.
“SafeWork NSW is working with the Royal Agricultural Society and continuing to make inquiries,” a spokesperson for SafeWork NSW said in a statement to NewsWire.
“SafeWork NSW is working closely with the Sydney Royal Easter Show event organisers to ensure the safety of more than 800,000 expected visitors, with inspectors and engineers conducting thorough inspections and enforcing strict safety compliance.
“This Easter, SafeWork NSW has issued 23 notices to protect families and workers by addressing safety risks to ensure all rides, stalls, and activities meet strict safety standards.”
Easter show organisers, The Royal Agricultural Society of NSW, said other safety mechanisms protect riders.
“We are aware of an incident involving a seat belt on the slingshot ride in the main carnival,” a spokesperson said.
“The slingshot is equipped with multiple safety mechanisms to ensure rider safety, with the over-shoulder harness and lap belt being the primary safety restraints, the additional seat belt that clips into the ride acts as an additional redundancy.
“The show’s carnival safety consultant has inspected the ride, the seat belt has been repaired and all safety procedures have been reviewed and reinforced with the operator.”
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