A 3-year-old girl who somehow got tangled in a kite was violently swept off her feet and swung wildly in the air more than 100 feet above ground in a terrifying incident Sunday during the 2020 International Kite Festival in Taiwan.
The unidentified girl, who was taken to a nearby hospital with her mother once she was pulled to the ground, suffered only mild scratches to her face and neck, according to Taiwan News.
OBC News showed various angles via YouTube.
The festival in Hsinchu City, famous for its high winds, was immediately canceled, and Mayor Lin Chih-chien apologized in a Facebook post.
“The city government team offers its sincere apology to the victim and the public,” Lin said, according to Taiwan News.
Lin added that authorities will start an investigation into the incident so as to prevent the accident from happening again in the future.
Chen Ko-rang, secretary-general of the Taiwan-based Asian Kite Forum, told Taiwan News that the kite was supposed to carry candy that would be scattered from the sky for children to catch.
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The kids are usually kept at a distance until the kite is airborne. Officials didn’t anticipate the strong gust that measured a 7 on the Beaufort Scale, which is a high wind or near gale up to 38 mph.
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The tail section somehow twisted around the little girl and sent her airborne to the shock of spectators, who rushed to catch her after festival workers battled to bring her down, The Sun reported.
The girl was said to have weighed just 28 pounds and was airborne for at least 30 seconds, according to the New York Post.
It was fortunate the girl remained tangled until brought to the ground or the end result could have been much worse.