Two young girls were hospitalized following a fall from a Ferris wheel at a Harvest Festival in Louisiana, according to local authorities.

Pointe Coupee Parish Sheriff René Thibodeaux shared with Fox News Digital that he was informed around noon on Saturday, November 1, by his chief deputy about an incident involving three girls on a Ferris wheel at the festival in New Roads, Louisiana. Two of the girls were thrown from the ride, falling approximately 15 to 20 feet to the ground.

“The third girl managed to cling onto the Ferris wheel,” Thibodeaux explained, noting that bystanders quickly came to her aid and safely caught her.

As reported by WAFB, emergency services provided immediate care to the injured girls before they were airlifted to Baton Rouge Children’s Hospital. Sheriff Thibodeaux described their injuries as ranging from moderate to severe. One of the girls has since been discharged, while the other remains in the hospital.

First responders treated the victims at the scene before they were airlifted to Baton Rouge Children’s Hospital with what Thibodeaux described as “moderate to severe injuries.” One girl has since been released, while the other remains hospitalized.

“Thank the good Lord that they will both recover,” Thibodeaux said.

Spectators of the fall said that it appeared that the Ferris wheel “majorly malfunctioned.”  (WAFB)

Witnesses described a terrifying scene as the ride appeared to malfunction.

“I’ll probably never get on another Ferris wheel,” one witness said. “I looked over and the Ferris wheel — the car was kinked over. I don’t know how it got stuck like that. They had a major malfunction. Someone didn’t do something right, that’s for sure.”

The Harvest Festival is a three-day annual event on False River in Louisiana. It runs through Sunday, November 2.  (WAFB)

Another witness said he noticed something was wrong moments before the fall.

“It was bad — it wasn’t supposed to be cracking like that,” he said. “They need to take this down. When the Ferris wheel goes, the cars are supposed to swing with it, but it got stuck. And as it was going around, it was just stuck at an angle.”

Authorities have not yet released details on what caused the ride to malfunction. The incident remains under investigation.