If I were a parent in Taiwan and I brought my child to a kite festival in Nanliao, the last thing I would want to see is my child getting caught in a kite, being lifted off the ground and high up into the air.
But that is exactly what happened to one family last Sunday, 30 Aug.
Playing with kites gone wrong
In a video posted on Facebook by user 跟著Via趣旅行～Part II, a three-year-old girl, known only as Lin, can be seen entangled in the strings of an orange kite and tumbling high up in the air.
This incident happened at an international kite festival in the city of Hsinchu’s fishing port which was held over two days and attracted over 100,000 people.
According to reports, the girl weighs a mere 13kg and was accidentally caught in the long tail of an orange kite.
In the video, she could be seen holding on to the strings for dear life and flying high up in the air for about 30 seconds.
There are some comments on the Facebook video saying that it looks like the girl’s neck was being yanked by the strings.
Thankfully, the winds relented slightly and the girl neared the ground where a group of people managed to grab onto her.
Strong Winds
According to SCMP, Chang Li-ke, a Hsinchu government official, was quoted by CNA as saying that winds on Sunday afternoon had reached up to No 7 on the Beaufort wind scale.
That’s between 13.9 and 17.1 metres every second (which basically means it’s very strong).
The long tail of the kite was originally intended to release confectionery to children but it trapped the little girl instead.
No injuries reported
The girl was frightened (who wouldn’t be?) but thankfully, suffered no serious physical injuries, reports CNA.
Hsinchu mayor Lin Chih-chien said the girl suffered some scratches to her face and neck but was otherwise unharmed.
Shortly after the incident took place, the festival’s activities were suspended for that evening.
Mayor apologisesÂ
Mayor Lin issued a public apology via a Facebook post on 30 Aug.
https://www.facebook.com/taiwango0527/posts/3136877733105506
You can read the translation of his post below:
“The parents and staff members have sought medical attention for the child, and the child was sent to the hospital. Fortunately, the child is well and has been accompanied home to rest.
“The municipal team deeply apologise to those involved and the public. We will investigate the cause of the incident to prevent any reoccurrence. We will be accountable for this incident and conduct an in-depth review.”
Chang added that in the future, they will ensure that there is a safe distance between people and the releasing of kites.
During strong winds, the relevant “projects” will be halted too.
Since the video went viral, many netizens have commented that “people should be careful of the strong winds in Hsinchu City” and that they’re “thankful for the adults who caught the girl.”
Some have also said that this incident was “truly terrifying” and that “they’re hoping that the girl is safe”.
You can watch the full clip below:
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