Skegness broken ride accident 'puts woman off for life'
A woman who fractured her neck when a fairground ride broke down in Lincolnshire last week says she will never go on another ride again.
Nikita Patel, 20, spent 40 minutes trapped on the Surf Rider when it jammed in the vertical position at Botton's Pleasure Beach in Skegness.
Firefighters rescued 22 people from the ride and seven were taken to hospital.
Ms Patel, from Leicester, broke a small bone in her neck and said she still suffered flashbacks about the incident.
"There was a loud bang and my whole body went back. Everyone was screaming and so terrified they weren't going to get off," she said.
"People were ringing their parents to tell them they loved them."
Ms Patel praised the emergency response but said the incident had put her off rides for life.
She said: "Where I was sitting I was so high up so I knew that I'd be the last one to come off the ride. It was really scary.
"I'm never going to go on one again - not just in a fairground but any ride.
"I'm getting better slowly. I'm recovering but it still frightens me when I see a ride. I get flashbacks."
Jennifer Negus, from Boston Pilgrim Hospital, said staff had been told to prepare a major incident plan.
"When we got the initial call from the emergency services, the first number quoted for potential injuries was 40.
"Then we were told to expect up to 20 casualties with back, neck and potential spinal injuries.
"In that situation you have to prepare for the worst case scenario. Thankfully not as many people were injured as was first thought."
The ride has been dismantled as the Health and Safety Executive investigates the incident.
Jim Botton Jr, who owns the pleasure beach, has said he does not intend for it to return.