'I was forced to hold the door shut for 15 minutes'

"My heart literally dropped, and I felt sick to my stomach," the terrified mum recalled of the moment she realised something was wrong.

Eleanor Katelaris

2 min read

May 20, 2024 - 2:58PM

Mum is left horrified after realising ferris wheel carriage was not shut properly

Parenting

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In a terrifying incident at a theme park, a mum claims the door on a Ferris wheel carriage swung open while she was riding with her two-year-old son.

Chloé Hennessey, 29, from London, described the heart-stopping moment when her son Wolf pointed out the malfunction while they were high above the ground.

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Image: TikTok

"Shaking and crying"

Capturing the ordeal on TikTok, Chloé shared the clip where little Wolf can be seen pointing out the issue while they were mid-ride.

“My heart literally dropped and I instantly felt sick to my stomach, and filled with anxiety and fear,” Chloé recounted. “I tried to remain as calm as I could for Wolf, otherwise it could’ve been a lot worse.”

In the footage, Chloé can be seen gasping and pulling her son away from the open door. She claims she had to hold the door shut for the entire 15-minute duration of the ride, which reaches heights of up to 36 feet (10 metres).

Once their Ferris wheel carriage finally returned to the ground, Chloé says she urgently flagged down a staff member and showed them the faulty door.

The staff quickly let her and Wolf, visibly shaken from the experience, off the ride.

Chloé explained, “They could see I was shaking and had been crying. Staff advised me to report it to the customer service desk, which I did.”

However, she alleges that when she reported the incident, she was told that the park "can’t do anything about it" immediately and was asked to email a formal complaint to start an investigation.

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"Terrifying"

Chloé’s video has since gained over half a million views. She described the ordeal as “one of the scariest days of my life,” adding that she has “nightmares like this.”

One viewer commented, “You poor things!!! That is shocking. I’m so glad you’re both okay.”

Another added, “I felt that gasp. Honestly, I've only ever been on one, and it terrified me.”

And a fellow parent echoed this sentiment, “Omg, what a good little boy, thank God!” while another viewer said, “I feel sick just watching this. I hope you’re okay that must’ve been terrifying.”