Terrifying video shows tragedy narrowly avoided when carnival ride spins out of control; festival-goers save the day

A tragedy was narrowly avoided on Thursday night when a carnival ride nearly collapsed while it was whirling out of control with people on board. The Magic Carpet Ride at the 95th Annual National Cherry Festival appears it may have toppled if it weren't for quick-acting Good Samaritans.

Terrifying video shows the moment that the Magic Carpet Ride spun out of control at the week-long National Cherry Festival in Traverse City, Michigan. At around 11 p.m., the carnival ride appears to detach from its foundation and begin to tip backward as the ride carrying people was spiraling in the air. The ride operator is seen jumping off the ride's platform as it shimmies back and forth.

Viral video shows a brave man rush to the malfunctioning ride and attempt to use his body as a counterweight to stabilize the apparatus. Seconds later, other festival-goers hold on to the side of the Magic Carpet Ride to prevent it from falling over and putting approximately 10 passengers in jeopardy.

Huffington Post senior front page editor Phillip Lewis shared two videos on Twitter of the near-calamity, where the crazy footage has been viewed nearly 2 million times. The second video, which was taken from TikTok, shows how shockingly unbalanced the carnival ride was and how narrowly a disaster was averted.

Riders were freed from the scary ride after people manually stopped the pendulum from swinging. Ride-goers were seen hugging friends and loved ones after narrowly avoiding tragedy.

No one was injured, and the Magic Carpet Ride was dismantled by the next morning, UpNorthLive News reported.

The National Cherry Festival's executive director, Kat Paye, told the Daily News in a statement that the ride has been removed from the site and was being transported to its manufacturer to be inspected.

"Inspections of the rides happen daily and written reports are filled out and completed on each ride every morning prior to operation," Paye said.

"I am grateful for the quick response of staff and community members and very thankful that there were no injuries," Paye added.

The operator of the ride, Arnold Amusements Inc., was unsure what caused the potentially dangerous malfunction.

"It was a scary situation and we're very fortunate … all of the patrons as well as the operator and the other customers that were around the ride are all safe," Joey Even, Arnold Amusements' office manager, said.

Carnival Ride at National Cherry Festival Shuts Down || ViralHogwww.youtube.com