Two girls under the age of 13 were hospitalized after being thrown from a Ferris wheel during the Harvest Festival in False River, held Saturday in New Roads, Louisiana, local authorities reported.

Pointe Coupee Parish Sheriff Rene Thibodeaux explained The accident occurred around noon, about 40 miles northwest of Baton Rouge Both girls were taken to area hospitals, and one of them had to be airlifted due to the severity of her injuries. “Our hearts go out to the families,” Sheriff Thibodeaux said after the incident, without providing details about the girls' current condition. The Louisiana State Fire Marshal's Office confirmed in a statement that it is actively investigating the accident, which occurred when two passengers fell from a Ferris wheel ride during the event. Witnesses recount the moment of the accident. One witness, Madison Fields, told local ABC affiliate WBRZ that the bucket the girls were riding in tipped over after getting caught on the structure's cables. “It got caught on the cables, tilted, and the two girls fell out,” she said. “I heard a loud thud, like a body hitting the ground.” Fields added that one of the children fell face-first and that she herself had planned to ride the Ferris wheel before the accident. “It was sad and disturbing, because, what if it had happened to me?” She said.

Local and state authorities remain at the scene conducting safety inspections to determine what caused the malfunction and whether the ride met operating standards.