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‘Free Fall’ Ride Hurts 3
Three people, including one with a broken neck, were seriously injured in 25-foot jumps onto an inflated airbag during the four-day Country Fest in Chippewa Falls, Wis., June 27-30.
Wade Asher, GM of Chippewa Valley Music Festivals that operates the festival, said he would have shut down the “Free Fall” attraction sooner if he’d been aware of the total number of injuries.
Photo: facebook.com/countryfest
“It would have been over. No question,” he said.
As many as 3,000 people paid $10 each to jump from a platform onto what was described as an “inflatable.”
They were instructed to jump so they landed on their backs – or backsides.
The festival lineup included Miranda Lambert, Montgomery Gentry, Toby Keith and Jason Aldean.