3-year-old gets thrown over 100 ft in the air by gigantic kite

Those attending a kite festival in Nanliao Harbour, Taiwan, were shocked when one of the kites took off with a child on Sunday, August 30. A three-year-old girl got tangled in the tail of one of the long kites. The terrifying incident was caught on camera by those in attendance. After flying at least 100 feet in the air, the child is seen dropping down and being caught by other event attendees. The child survived the harrowing ordeal with some minor scratches. The Mayor of Hsinchu City apologised for the incident.

A large crowd had gathered at the site to attend the 2020 International Kite Festival. Enthusiasts flew their kites while the audience viewed the activities in close proximity of the kite flyers. This led to the heart-stopping incident involving a three-year-old child.

The child, last name Lin, was standing close to a very long orange kite when it suddenly took off. The child somehow became tangled in the elongated tail of the kite. On-lookers shouted in terror as the screaming toddler was dragged off the ground and into the air.

Members of the public recorded the incident from various angles. In the video, the child is seen being violently jerked around in the air. According to The Sun, the child was lifted at least 100-feet up. She was airborne for a few terrifying moments before the kite came crashing down. Panicked on-lookers gathered under the tail of the kite and were able to catch the girl, preventing her from hitting the ground.

According to Taiwan News, the girl, accompanied by her mother, was to be taken to a hospital for medical assistance. The girl miraculously survived the ordeal with some minor scratches to her face and neck.

Following the incident, the videos of the girl became viral. The International Kite Festival, which was celebrating its fourth anniversary, was cancelled by the government. Mayor Lin Chih-Chien on Facebook apologised for the incident and announced the cancellation of the event. He also stated that the incident will be investigated so that it is not repeated in the future.

Chen Ko-fang, secretary general of the Taiwan-based Asian Kite Forum, stated that the kite which took off with the toddler was meant to scatter candy for the children from the air. The parents had been asked to keep children away from the kites. The strong gust of wind that made the kite take off was unexpected.