Firefighter honored for heroic actions in Vortex accident
A Morrisville firefighter was honored Saturday for his heroic actions when a state fair ride malfunctioned last October.
Posted — UpdatedConelle Farrar was off duty when The Vortex, known for its wild twirls and flips, started moving while people were getting off, dropping some unsecured passengers 20 feet onto the ride's metal floor.
He said his first thought was resucing the injured.
"Once the machine had went up in the air, I knew the machine would come back down," Farrar said. "Then I decided to just go up and pull the mother and the son back, those were the first two I could get to, before the machine came back down and then there were other people helping the two other victims."
Anthony Gorham, his wife, Kisha, and her 14-year-old son, Justen Hunter, were all injured in the incident.
The Vortex remains at the North Carolina State Fairgrounds, where it is guarded 24 hours a day, while authorities and defense experts inspect the ride.
The ride's owner and operator face charges in connection with the case.
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