Whitley Bay funfair: Families saw young worker 'crushed to death' by ride

Horrified families saw the moment a young fairground worker was killed as some claim he was "crushed" to death.

Emergency services rushed to the Spanish City Summer Funfair in Whitley Bay, near Newcastle, following reports that a man had been "seriously injured" at his workplace. He was sadly pronounced dead at the scene on Saturday. Police have since confirmed the victim was a man in his 20s. His family are being supported by specialist officers.

According to witnesses, the worker "got hit in the head" by the ride. One woman said the incident happened just as the ride was ending. She said: "My family were there as it happened the ride clipped him as it was finishing and crushes him, they were trying to revive him for ages doesnt look good for him."

READ MORE: Whitley Bay funfair incident: Young man dies after suffering head injuries on ride

READ MORE: Whitley Bay incident: Funfair closed after person 'seriously injured' on ride

Another person said: "Young lad working on ride got hit in the head and died. Poor workers trying to revive him for 25mins. Just bloody awful." A third person explained that riders were still sitting on the attraction when the tragedy occured.

They added: "Happened just as my child got off it. We walked away and a few mins later we saw ambulances arriving and they were covering up half of the ride. People were still sat on the other half.”

Turners Funfairs, which runs Spanish City Funfair, paid tribute to their colleague on Facebook. On Sunday, the company shared a statement which said: "We are heartbroken to share that one of our much loved colleagues has sadly passed away following a tragic accident at Spanish City Funfair on Saturday 23rd August, 2025.

"Our team is like a family and we are all deeply affected by this loss. As a mark of respect, Spanish City Funfair will remain closed this weekend, while we take the time to grieve together. We kindly ask you for your understanding, and our thoughts and love are with his family and friends at this very sad time."

Northumbria Police earlier issued a statement, confirming his death. A spokesperson said: "Shortly after 2.15pm today (Saturday), we received a report that a man had been injured in a workplace accident at Spanish City Summer Funfair in the Spanish City Plaza area of Whitley Bay in North Tyneside.

"Emergency services attended and a man in his 20s was found to have suffered serious head injuries. Despite the best efforts of medical staff who attended the scene, a short time later, the man was sadly declared dead. His next of kin have been contacted and are being supported by specialist officers. Our thoughts are with the man’s family at this extremely difficult time."

They added: "We have contacted the Health & Safety Executive (HSE) and are working with them to establish exactly what happened. The fair has been closed to the public and will remain closed until further notice. Anyone with information should contact Northumbria Police by sending them a direct message on social media, or by using the live chat or report form functions on the force’s website."