Mount Airy?s annual carnival will continue as scheduled this weekend, even after a bolt of lightning that struck a carnival ride Thursday night shocked five people.
As storms passed through the area of the Mount Airy Volunteer Fire Company, lightning struck the carnival?s Super Shot ride at around 9 p.m., reflecting down to give a group of people 30 feet to 50 feet away a mild electrical shock, said Mount Airy Fire Company spokesman Doug Alexander.
“Two people got a jolt that knocked them to their knees,” he said.
Alexander said three people refused medical attention, while two others -? a man and a woman between the ages of 40 and 60 ? were sent to an area hospital where they were treated and released.
Alexander said the carnival grounds were evacuated after the incident.
He said the 80-foot-tall ride sustained some electrical damage and would require repair, so it would not be open for the remainder of Mount Airy?s carnival, which ends Saturday night.
In the carnival?s 79-year history, no major injuries have resulted from ride problems, Alexander said, adding that inspectors from the state Department of License and Inspections examine each ride for safety once they are assembled for a carnival.
WJZ-13 contributed to this story.
