CLAY COUNTY, Fla. — A frantic 911 call was released after a ride operator was injured after being caught in 'The Hydra' ride at the Clay County Fair on Friday night.
The operator that was caught in the ride was 28-year-old Davontai Lee. Once freed, he was rushed to the hospital to receive treatment for his injuries.
The 911 call was from a woman, who initially described the incident as someone having fallen off the Hydra ride. Later on in the call, she clarified that it was a worker that had been pinned by a piece of metal.
During the call, she told the 911 operator that people were all around the man were screaming.
Listen to the call below:
Inspection reports for the ride indicate that it’s owned by Deggeller Attractions and was last inspected on March 31.
The ride was found at fault for having a step too high, but otherwise the inspection report shows that it passed inspection.
"The Hydra is one of the most popular rides on the midway," describes Deggeller Attractions on its website. "Upon boarding, riders are secured with over-the-shoulder restraints. As the claw begins to rotate, it starts to swing back and forth until it reaches its full height of 60ft in the air! Combining a spinning and swinging motion, the Extreme provides riders with a completely unique riding experience."
The man trapped was one of several operators working on the ride. Law enforcement said he was trying to retrieve someone's property and was caught in the ride due to bad timing.
“The man went down to get another person's hat and I guess the floors or whatever had went down on him and pinned him in," said Keirra Peterson, daughter of Aurelia Smith, a woman who recorded the incident on her phone.
Peterson said you could hear Lee crying for help.
Video of incident:
“I didn’t really expect that, I never thought that since that boy the other week that fell off that ride. I didn’t think I would experience another ride misfunction," said Peterson.
The ride is still up and functioning at the Clay County Fair. There were no problems with the function of the ride.
Lee decline to do an interview with First Coast News, but he tells us he is still in pain and in shock.
