Roller-coaster riders trapped upside down for hours at Wisconsin festival
Some people love the feeling of blood rushing to their head while they ride a roller-coaster, but a group of thrill seekers in Wisconsin got more than their fair share when they became stuck upside down for several hours.
Eight riders onboard the Fire Ball, a looping roller-coaster at the Forest County Festival in Crandon, Wis., were left hanging on Sunday when the attraction seemingly stopped mid-ride, according to NBC affiliate news station WJFW. Seven of the riders were reportedly minors.
The roller-coaster passengers, who can be seen waiting upside down in social media videos, were suspended for at least three hours. Local authorities said in a press release that the riders were “held in the inverted position by safety harnesses on the cars.”
Capt. Brennan Cook of the Crandon Fire Department told WJFW a “mechanical failure” caused the roller-coaster to halt mid-ride. It is not yet clear what caused the failure.
Several emergency responders from three nearby counties reportedly rushed to the scene to help the trapped amusement park goers.
One rescuer was filmed wearing a harness while they scaled up the side of the Fire Ball to the eight passengers, many of whom waited with their hair dangling down toward the ground, several feet below.
Due to the height of the ride, a specialized ladder truck with a 100-foot platform was brought to the festival and used to bring the eight passengers to the ground again.
The riders were safely rescued and brought to hospital for assessment. There have been no reported physical injuries.
“The ride was recently inspected by the state of Wisconsin here on site, and at this time we don’t have any other information,” Cook said.
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