Tragic end of the Easter meadow: workers dies during the Ferris wheel reduction

Tragic end of the Easter meadow: workers dies during the Ferris wheel reduction

On Tuesday afternoon, April 29, 2025, there was a tragic accident in Bremen when a 49-year-old worker fell from around 40 meters in the mining of the Ferris wheel on the Osterwiese. The police and other emergency services quickly arrived at the scene of the accident, but they could no longer help the man because he died at the scene of the accident due to serious injuries. The Ferris wheel was the main attraction of the Volksfest, which took place from April 11th to 27th

The incident marks a sad end for the popular folk festival, which attracted around 500,000 visitors this year. According to reports, the Ferris wheel was already partially dismantled when the worker fell. Initial findings indicate that the brake of the Ferris wheel dissolved when dismantling and thus parts of the driving business set in motion, which led to the deadly misfortune. The criminal police immediately initiated investigations to clarify the cause of the accident, while representatives of the trade supervision were also on site to examine the incident.

safety regulations and investigative measures

In Germany, the assembly and dismantling of rides are subject to strict safety regulations that are regulated in the Operating Safety Ordinance. These regulations are monitored by the trade supervision and independent institutions such as TÜV. According to the TÜV association, there was an increase in accidents in fairs in 2022 and in amusement parks, with disadvantages of operating, operating and usage regulations. Targeted technical and organizational measures are therefore recommended to prevent such tragic incidents in the future.

The TÜV association emphasizes the need for better training and qualification of the staff, as well as an increase in the control density and adjustments of existing systems to the applicable safety standards. These recommendations aim to permanently increase the safety of rides and to avoid similar accidents.

As a tragic example of the challenges in this industry, the case of the 49-year-old worker remains in the minds of the people who cannot be forgotten the dangers of such a job. Emergency pastoral care was consulted for the eyewitnesses and colleagues of the deceased to offer them support during this difficult time. Fortunately, such fatal accidents are rare, but occur, such as a similar incident in 2017 in the Vienna Prater.