A two-year-old girl fell from Casino Pier's Sky Ride, a chairlift-style attraction in Seaside Heights, New Jersey, on Monday evening, while her aunt and a three-year-old boy were also aboard. The incident, which happened before the ride began moving, sent the toddler tumbling roughly 10-12 feet onto a boardwalk platform and then onto the sand below, prompting park staff to shut the ride down immediately. It is the latest in a series of unsettling amusement ride incidents reported across the United States this year, adding to public concern about ride safety at theme parks and boardwalk attractions.

The fall occurred at about 7:40pm, with the girl landing first on an entrance platform before dropping onto the sand, according to Fire Chief Tim Farrell. Firefighters used a ladder to bring the three-year-old boy safely down from the stranded ride, while emergency medical staff assessed the girl before she and her aunt were taken to Community Medical Center in Toms River for evaluation. Police said the ride, which was built in 1983, appeared to be functioning normally with no obvious defects, though New Jersey's Department of Community Affairs is investigating. There is currently no indication the ride malfunctioned.