More than a dozen riders, most of them children, had to be rescued after a thrill ride malfunctioned at Adventureland on Long Island, leaving them stuck about 25 feet above the ground for hours.
The scary incident happened on Friday, June 19, at the Farmingdale, New York, amusement park.
According to Suffolk County Police, emergency crews received a 911 call just before 7:30 p.m. reporting that the Wave Twister ride had broken down with passengers still on board.
Multiple fire departments and Emergency Services Unit officers responded to the park as crews worked to safely get everyone off the ride.
The rescue took about three hours, but officials said all riders were eventually brought down safely. No injuries were reported.
Police told CBS News that the youngest rider was just 5 years old and was on the ride with a 40-year-old parent. The other 14 children were between 8 and 12 years old.
The Wave Twister is a custom-built thrill ride that opened at Adventureland in March. The attraction is designed to simulate the feeling of riding on a wave, using a boomerang-style track layout and two spinning gondolas that can hold 10 passengers each.
It is still unclear what caused the ride to stop.
Adventureland said the Wave Twister will remain closed while the park investigates what went wrong.
“For more than 60 years, Adventureland has enjoyed a proud record of safety and guest satisfaction,” the park said in a statement shared.
“We understand the concern of the riders and their families who were involved today, and we will be working with our ride consultants to fully assess what happened,” the statement continued.
The park also thanked the first responders who helped rescue the stranded riders.
“Until further review that ride will not be in service,” Adventureland said. “We appreciate the dedication of the many first responder departments who skillfully assisted in getting our guests off the ride.”
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Some parents told Eyewitness News that they were able to communicate with their children through Apple Watches while they waited to be rescued.
One sixth grader who was trapped on the ride told CBS News that the situation was frightening at first and that some of the younger children began crying.
“I was telling them it was okay, they can hold my hand and stuff like that,” the student said. “A couple kids were crying. I was trying to calm them down. It was scary at first.”
The student said things became calmer as time passed, though some children were still upset while waiting to be brought down.
What was supposed to be a fun night at the amusement park turned into a frightening ordeal for families as children sat suspended in the air for hours before crews were finally able to rescue them.
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