THEME PARK HORROR
Riders trapped on one of world’s tallest rollercoasters as 70mph & 200ft ride gets stuck after ‘scarf sucked into wheel’
Riders had to evacuate using special harnesses
THRILLSEEKERS were trapped 200ft in the air on one of the world's tallest rollercoasters after a loose scarf became trapped in the wheel.
The garment became lodged in the mechanism of the ride and brought it to an abrupt halt as it was climbing.
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To evacuate the towering rollercoaster, each terrified passenger was given a harness and told to descend down the stairs to the load station.
Safety crews watched on, monitoring the situation to make sure no one was hurt.
Reaching speeds of up to 71mph and costing roughly £15million to build, the DC Rivals HyperCoaster is the tallest, longest and fastest roller coaster in the Southern Hemisphere.
In a statement, Warner Bros Movie World said highly-trained ride operators used their control system to safely stop the ride on the lift hill as a precaution about 3pm Queensland time.
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It said: “The ride operator and the ride’s safety systems have done what they are trained and designed to do, and all the guests on-board are safe with the ride vehicle stopped in a designated zone.”
The statement continued: “Our team are in the process of exiting these guests down the lift hill, which is a process we regularly train for and simply requires the guests to walk down the stairs to the load station.
“Due to the height of the lift hill, we will provide a harness for the guests.”
The ride will be operational again after the scarf is removed.
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“We understand ride stoppages can be frustrating for guests and it is for reasons such as these why loose items are not permitted to be taken on-board rides and attractions.”
“We encourage guests to follow all instructions of our operators.”
The last of the passengers reached the ground about 6pm local time.
This is not the only rollercoaster mishap to happen recently.
Last summer disaster struck when a car derailed at Grona Lund amusement park, killing a woman and injuring multiple kids.
And riders at Southend theme park Adventure Island were left stuck in the air after a 72ft-high ride broke down.
In another terrifying incident passengers were trapped on a Thorpe Park rollercoaster after it was halted mid-ride.
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