A boy was seriously injured and has been left fighting for his life when he fell from a fairground ride in a freak accident at a music festival in Hertfordshire on 1 August 2009.

The boy believed to be 14-years-old, was attending the Sonisphere music festival at Knebworth. The festival is set in the grounds of Knebworth House and is staged over two days with 40,000 people attending each day.

Ambulance crews were called to the scene at around 2.30pm after it was reported that a young boy had fallen from one of the rides while it was in motion. The boy who has not been identified was rushed to Lister Hospital in Stevenage with what were described at potentially life threatening injuries.

East of England Ambulance service spokesman Gary Sanderson said: “The young man sustained potentially life threatening injuries and our paramedics at the venue worked rapidly to treat and stabilise him. Following this, he was rushed to an awaiting trauma team at the Lister Hospital in Stevenage.”

Witnesses said that the young boy was thrown from the ride and catapulted into a row of portable toilets. The latest information from the hospital stated that the boy has serious chest injuries as well as fractures to his wrist and ankle. His condition was described as stable.

The Health and Safety Executive were notified of the accident and are currently investigating.