Three thrill seekers got more than they bargained for when they found themselves stranded on their roller coaster car.
On Saturday around 9 p.m., the Pandemonium roller coaster at Six Flags Over Texas in Arlington malfunctioned, leaving three passengers stuck about 20 feet from the ground, reported Fox 4 KDFW.
Six Flags touts Pandemonium on their website as “a maze of spin opportunities. You’ll plunge and rise at more than 30 miles per hour down the 1,351-foot track, spinning 360 degrees as you shoot around S-shaped curves, bank hard horizontally, snake through impossibly twisted helixes, tackle sudden sharp dips, and zoom around long swooping trajectories. All the while you’ll be like an artist of spin, and Pandemonium is going to be your masterpiece.”
The park did not provide information as to how long the passengers remained isolated on this masterpiece before local firefighters arrived to rescue the trio.
No injuries occurred as a result of the incident. Arlington Fire personnel used an extension ladder to assist the passengers in debarking from the ride.
Earlier this month, The Dallas Express reported that nine individuals had to be rescued after becoming stranded on a roller coaster at Traders Village in Grand Prairie.
The Grand Prairie Fire Department, along with the police and EMS, received a call from Traders Village around 4 p.m. on September 8, reporting that a roller coaster had malfunctioned and that the passengers needed assistance exiting.
Firefighters rescued each passenger individually, bringing them down from the roller coaster using a rappelling line. All nine passengers were successfully rescued without injury.
Unfortunately, not everyone has been able to escape unharmed from roller coaster malfunctions throughout recent history. Golberg & Loren have listed ten examples on their website to emphasize the risks involved with amusement parks:
1. On May 11, 1984, a fire at Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson Township, New Jersey, killed eight teenagers.
2. On July 3rd, 1987, six individuals were injured when a raft overturned on the Canyon River Rapids ride at Hershey Park in Hershey, Pennsylvania.
3. The Fire Ball Ride accident at the Ohio State Fair in July, which killed a teenager and injured seven others, was attributed to excessive corrosion by the manufacturer.
4. On March 29, 1980, a 13-year-old boy riding The Whizzer lost his life, and eight other passengers sustained injuries when two trains collided.
5. Four people received minor injuries at Six Flags Magic Mountain when the Ninja roller coaster derailed after hitting a tree.
6. In 1996, six individuals were injured when a raft on the Rip Roaring Rapids capsized at Six Flags White Water Park in Marietta, Georgia.
7. On April 20, 1997, mechanical failures on the Wildcat roller coaster led to a fatal collision, resulting in one teenager’s death and six injuries.
8. In 2003, an incident occurred at Disneyland where one person lost their life, and 10 others sustained injuries when a section of the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad Train derailed.
9. Caleb, the son of Scott Schwab, passed away on August 8, 2016, at Schlitterbahn Water Park in Kansas City while riding the certified world’s tallest slide.
10. On September 23, 2001, an accident occurred at Knotts Berry Farm, leading to the tragic death of a woman who fell from the Perilous Plunge ride.