Seville 112: slingshot ride snaps mid-air injuring two children from Malaga

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The families of the two boys, who have been discharged from hospital, are considering legal actions

María José Díaz Alcalá

Monday, 27 April 2026, 10:28

The passion for fairground rides has been uniting 17-year-old Carlos and 11-year-old Manuel since 2023. The two boys have been posting videos of them trying out the most eye-catching rides at the Andalusian fairs for some time now.

On Friday, 24 April, they went to the Seville fair, unaware that one of the cables of the slingshot ride would snap mid-air, while they were mounted.

 Manuel's mother, María, accompanied them to the fair. "I asked if it was okay for him to get on it because of his age and they told me there was no problem," she told SUR.

Carlos said that he had gotten a "bad feeling" before the ride, but he went for it anyway. He heard the shouts of onlookers, but wasn't fully aware of when the cable had broken. "I was in shock. I couldn't think straight. The only thing on my mind was that the other rope might come loose too," he said.

After crashing into one of the ride's pillars and being suspended more than ten metres in the air, Manuel asked Carlos what had happened. Up there, they lost track of time, but María said that the emergency services took about 15 minutes to rescue them.

After an initial assessment at the scene, the paramedics took the two boys to hospital. Manuel had a split lip and a bruised leg. According to Carlos's mother, Ana, her son also had bruises and pain all over his body, including his head.

"It was 8.30pm when my phone rang and a nurse told me that my son had been in an accident, that the rope on the ride had come loose. She told me not to worry, that they were in pain but conscious," Ana said.

The two boys have now been discharged, but they are still recovering from the painful injuries.

María witnessed and filmed the accident. "I'm okay because they're alive, but this has been very traumatic," she said. She also admitted to feeling "outraged" by the way the staff at the 'Steel Maxx' ride treated them. "When it happened, they said these things were risky and then washed their hands of it. They didn't even ask how the children were."

The National Police have opened an investigation, while the two boys' families from Malaga are considering legal action.