A mechanical failure on a roller coaster at a Santa Clara, California, amusement park Monday afternoon left 24 people stranded for hours on the ride, some as high as 80 feet off the ground, authorities said.
“The ride was ascending to the highest point of the ride, actually where it begins, and then it just stopped,” Augie Wiedemann, deputy fire chief of the city, said. No injuries were reported from the incident. The Invertigo ride at Great America Theme Park stopped at about 12:15 p.m. and the passengers were stuck for at least three hours, he said. Eleven passengers had gotten off the ride by about 4 p.m., while the rest were expected to be removed within the next two hours, Wiedemann added. Video from CNN affiliate KGO showed firefighters removing passengers from the ride’s restraint system and lowering them into a basket at the top of a fire truck. Watch footage of the rescue ยป “We work in the off season with park personal to prepare for things like this,” Wiedemann said. “You can see that in how well the rescue operation is going.”
Passengers were given water as they waited in 90-degree heat to prevent dehydration. The theme park did not immediately issue a statement or return calls for comment.
