Child was unloading B.C. carnival Zipper ride when drunk patron fell and broke bones: report

A safety agency says a nine-year-old child was helping operate a carnival ride in Port Hardy, B.C., this spring when an intoxicated woman fell from a carriage and broke several bones.

Technical Safety B.C. says in an investigation report into the May 31 incident that the patron fell about two metres when the Zipper ride was activated prematurely during unloading, which "ejected the unsecured rider onto the ground below."

It says the same patron had been thrown out of the carnival the day before, noting that drunk patrons are a "common" problem at carnivals.

"It was common practice to not 'disallow' intoxicated patrons to ride to prevent conflict between patrons and attendants," the report says.

In the Technical Safety B.C. report, the hoisted Zipper car is seen at the height where th