8 riders are rescued from top of 72-foot rollercoaster in England
Eight thrill seekers, including an 8-year-old girl, had to be rescued from a rollercoaster that stalled near the highest point of the ride at an amusement park in England.
As riders approached the 72-foot apex of the Rage ride at Adventure Island in Southend, Essex – roughly 40 miles outside of London – it rolled to a stop on the steep tracks, leaving passengers positioned parallel to the ground.
A witness said the parkgoers were positioned horizontally for up to 45 minutes as rescuers had to harness the riders to safely move them onto a platform lift.
“It literally just got stuck, right at the top,” a mother, who was visiting the theme park with her 6-year-old daughter, told SWNS. “They harnessed them out one at the time. They were up there for at least half an hour, 45 minutes probably.
“It was all quite calm to be fair, the park seemed to handle it really, really well,” the unidentified witness continued. “They were reassuring them, there was no screaming or mass hysteria, though obviously there was a large crowd of people around and lots of people there.”
Another witness, Gemma Fletcher, said she heard a “bang” and “some clattering and screeching” before the ride stopped, according to the Daily Mail.
“The riders didn’t seem distressed as there was no audible screaming and no flailing arms or anything. However when they evacuated the ride the first man they took off was clinging onto the lift and looked in a bad way,” she said.
Eight people got stuck at the top of a 72-foot Rage ride at Adventure Island is Southend, Essex, in England. SWNS
As riders approached the top of the ride, it rolled to a stop, leaving passengers positioned parallel to the ground. SWNS
“By the reaction of the staff members, and the sound the ride made, this wasn’t anything they had rehearsed for. This was a serious, non-predictable and non-rehearsed, emergency.”
Another woman, who was not named, said she was “so scared” when the ride stopped because her brother was on it, but said “surprisingly he was fearless about it,” the Daily Mail reported.
A witness said the riders were left like that for up to 45 minutes as rescuers had to “harness” them to get them off the ride and onto a platform lift. SWNS
A witness, Gemma Fletcher, said she heard a “bang” and “some clattering and screeching” before the ride stopped.” SWNS
The carriages are still stuck on at the top, according to one witness.
The Post has reached out to Adventure Island for comment.
Source: New York Post
