Roller coaster riders stuck upside down for hours at Wisconsin festival
Thrill seekers at a Wisconsin festival were given a major scare on Sunday after the roller coaster they were riding got stuck, leaving them hanging upside down for hours.
The roller coaster at the Forest County Festival in Crandon appeared to shut down mid-ride, leaving some passengers hanging upside down for at least three hours, according to NBC News affiliate WJFW, which is based in Rhinelander, Wisconsin.
In a video shared on social media, a number of people could be seen hanging from a stalled roller coaster as rescuers climbed the attraction to free them. The video could not immediately be verified by news outlets.
According to WJFW, emergency responders from at least three surrounding counties responded to the call to help the riders.
All passengers were safely rescued and were taken to the hospital to be checked out.
Crandon Fire Department Captain Brennan Cook reported that there had been a “mechanical failure with the ride where it became stuck in the upright position”. It was not immediately clear what caused the issue.
Cook said the ride had been recently inspected on-site by the state of Wisconsin, but he said he did not have any other information.
Sunday was meant to be the final day of the festival, according to a flyer shared online by Crandon International Off Road Raceway, the apparent organisers of the event.
The incident is the latest in a string of roller coaster-related mishaps to make headlines in recent days.
A North Carolina amusement park confirmed on Sunday that it recently shut down one of its roller coasters after a man spotted a large crack that caused a support beam to visibly move out of place as a passenger-filled car sped past.
Carowinds said that the Fury 325 was shut down for repairs after the park was alerted to the issue. A “thorough inspection” was taking place and the ride would be closed indefinitely until the issue is fixed, a statement from the park said.
Last month, a roller coaster train also derailed in Sweden, killing one person and injuring at least nine others.
