Boy, 10, flung from Taste of Antioch ‘Moby Dick’ ride expected to survive: officials

The 10-year-old boy flung from a carnival ride at the Taste of Antioch festival Sunday afternoon is expected to survive the injuries he suffered in the fall, according to a village of Antioch news release.

The child was “seriously injured” in the fall and was treated for “multiple facial and jaw fractures and a significant injury to the bones in one leg,” according to the release.

He initially was flown from Antioch to Advocate Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge. Because of the extent of his injuries, he later was flown to Comer Children’s Hospital in Chicago for treatment. He had been listed in critical condition.

A family member has set up a GoFundMe for the child to raise money to help the family pay for medical bills. As of Monday evening, the fund had raised more than $19,700 of a $20,000 goal.

“My sister and his father will be out of work for a time that will make paying for the unknown amount of surgery my nephew will need, almost impossible,” Robert Pohlman of Oklahoma, the boy’s uncle, wrote on the GoFundMe page. “Anything helps, funds will be used to pay medical fees and if there’s any left over, that will be saved for him when he recovers.”

He went on to say that his nephew is a “strong kid.”

“He once broke his arm and pushed the bone back in on his own because ‘it didn’t hurt,’ ” Pohlman said. “Truly remarkable kid.”

Antioch Police and Fire emergency crews were dispatched to the Antioch Chamber of Commerce Taste of Summer carnival at 2:40 p.m. to a report of a child who fell from the “Moby Dick” ride. Antioch Mayor Scott Gartner immediately issued an executive order to halt all rides at the carnival to ensure the safety of others, according to the release.

The Illinois Department of Labor has joined Antioch police in the investigation. The ILDOL Amusement Ride and Attraction Safety Division is responsible for the annual inspection and permitting of public rides.

“The Illinois Department of Labor is aware of the incident in Antioch,” Paul Cicchini, public information officer for the department, said in an email. “The ride has been stopped and an investigation is underway. We have no further comment at this time.”

According to the ILDOL website, only rides that pass inspection, are insured and meet applicable safety standards are allowed to operate in Illinois. The Moby Dick, operated by All Around Amusement of Lockport, was inspected this year and was issued a permit to operate, according to Antioch’s release.

A woman who answered the phone Monday afternoon at All Around Amusement of Lockport said, “There is no comment at this time,” and hung up.

When police arrived at the carnival, they secured the ride to ensure no tampering occurred and immediately requested an ILDOL inspector on the scene. An initial inspection was done and a “stop order” was issued. A “bolt-by-bolt” inspection will be done of the ride before it will be allowed to resume elsewhere, according to the release.

An independent investigation, which is expected to take months, also will be conducted by ILDOL to determine if the incident resulted from mechanical failure, operator error or a combination of both.

Antioch Police Chief Geoffrey Guttschow said the police department is conducting its own investigation to determine if any criminally reckless or negligent acts may have contributed to the incident.

“We will be working with the Lake County State’s Attorney to determine if any criminal charges will be appropriate under these circumstances,” Guttschow said.

A meeting among Antioch Mayor Scott Gartner and representatives from the village and the Chamber was planned for Monday as well.

“We plan to work with the Chamber of Commerce to identify exactly what led to this horrible accident and what we can do to work together to ensure nothing like this will happen again in our community,” Gartner said.

Officials ask that anyone who saw “unsafe actions by carnival workers or equipment” during the fest to contact Antioch Police at crime@antioch.il.gov.