Antioch festival’s carnival shut down Sunday after child reportedly thrown from ride

The carnival operating at the Antioch Chamber of Commerce Taste of Antioch was shut down Sunday after a child was allegedly thrown from one of the rides, village officials said in a release.

The Antioch police and fire departments were called about 2:40 p.m. Sunday to the downtown festival for the report of an injured child. Crews found a 10-year-old who appeared to have been thrown from a carnival ride. The child was flown to an area hospital, according to the release.

Further information about the child’s injuries or which ride they had been on was unavailable.

Antioch Mayor Scott Gartner, after consulting with the police and fire chiefs, “decided to use his executive authority to order the remainder of the rides at the Taste of Antioch shut down. The closure of the rides will ensure safety for our community and allow officials to review the safety of each ride,” according to the release.

The Illinois Department of Labor, who is responsible for ensuring the safety of carnival rides, Antioch Police Department and the Antioch Fire Department are investigating the incident, according to the release.

According to the Antioch Chamber of Commerce website, the carnival operator is All Around Amusements of Lockport.

A person who answered the phone at the amusement company’s listed phone number had no comment on the incident.