Two State Fair of Texas guests got more than they bargained for on a leisurely paddle boat ride Wednesday, when their swan-shaped vessel began taking on water and sank beneath them at Fair Park in Dallas. The pair ended up in the water as the boat slowly went under.
A TikTok video captured the moment, showing the paddle boat gradually sinking while the two passengers scrambled to climb out, according to The Dallas Morning News. Other people who appeared to be employees rushed in to help the soaked riders, and the ride operator's team assisted them and made sure they were safely pulled from the water, per an email the paper obtained. The incident happened at Fair Park on Wednesday, Oct. 14, according to a spokeswoman.
Fair Says Boat Checked Out Fine
State Fair of Texas spokeswoman Karissa Condoianis said everyone involved was okay following the dunking. She added that after the boat was pulled from the water by the ride operator's crew, an inspection turned up no issues with it.
Fair Nearing Its Final Days
The dunking came as the State Fair of Texas was heading into its last weekend, with the annual event set to close its gates on Oct. 18. The clip gave fairgoers one more only-in-Texas moment to talk about before the gates shut for the season.
Texas does regulate amusement rides, including a requirement that each ride be inspected before it operates, according to the Texas Department of Insurance. For mobile amusement rides, state rules also call for daily inspection records to be kept on hand at a ride's operating location so municipal, county or state law enforcement can review them, per the department's rules governing the Amusement Ride Safety Inspection and Insurance Act. It's not the only paddle boat mishap to make headlines this month — on Friday evening, four people had to be rescued after a paddle boat capsized on Eagle Lake, with one person airlifted to Fargo, according to Valley News Live.
