The riders of a Texas roller coaster were left dangling 100 feet in the air after it broke down mid-ride. As reported by the New York Post, the wild incident happened on Thursday, May 28.
The incident involved 8 riders who were on the Iron Shark roller coaster in Galveston's Pleasure Pier. The group, who were students from the Houston Independent School District, was left in a pretty precarious position.
They were stuck facing straight up into the air, 100 feet above ground. At least they weren't facing toward the ground!
Galveston Fire Chief Mike Varela explained that the students were a little scared from the whole experience, but everyone was safe. It took firefighters four hours of coordination and a giant ladder to get everyone down.
"Of course they were shaken up from climbing that ladder down, being in that hot sun. They have been checked for dehydration and everyone seems to be doing pretty good."
The students were on a school trip when the shocking incident happened. They were from Energized for STEM Academy Middle School and STEM Academy High School.
In a statement, the district said, "We are grateful that all students, staff, and chaperones are safe. School administration is in direct contact with the families of all students who were on the trip. We are thankful for the rescue efforts of the first responders and park personnel."
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The Roller Coaster Issue Is Still Being Investigated
The internal issue that caused the issue is still being investigated. Terry Turney, who is the chief operating officer of the Pleasure Pier, said that the issue was still unknown but had been isolated to a possible issue with a sensor within the ride.
"The ride experienced a malfunction at its initial ascent; however, as designed, it immediately stopped to keep everyone safe. A thorough inspection of the ride will take place before it is placed back in service."
According to ABC 13, a timeline for the Iron Shark's reopening has still not been established.
What a crazy incident. We're just glad that everyone got out of the ride without any injuries!
