It wasn’t the thrill ride they expected.
Riders were expecting a fun day at Carowinds amusement park in North Carolina, but events took an unexpected turn and their rollercoaster ride got scary.
The coaster abruptly came to a halt, and the malfunction lasted over 45 minutes, leaving riders dangling upside down. Fortunately, there were no injuries.
Riders became caught on the Flying Cobra, a coaster that propels people through a 360-degree circle at speeds up to 50 mph. Riders are flipped six times on the 125-foot tall looping coaster.
When the coaster stopped going for such a long time, the exhilaration turned to chills.
Brandon Allen told the media outlet that it was his first time on a rollercoaster at a theme park, but that the ride had been stuck. “I stood there, watching my tears fall from the sky.” While describing the ordeal, Mr. Allen stated, “It was terrifying.”
“We go to the very top where they’re backing you up, and he was doing a countdown. He goes, ‘We’re sorry, we’re having some technical difficulties,’ and we thought he was joking because of the surprise element or something,” he continued.
He went on to say that the minutes he was stuck felt like hours. The rider also said that they were informed the journey would take between 35 and 45 minutes to complete.
“Which may not be major, but it’s a big deal when you’re just facing the ground completely. There were parents trying to talk to their children screaming, ‘It’s going to be okay’!” Mr. Allen said.
He also noted that last month riders got stuck on the Electro Spin ride. Mr. Allen said that it seems like this is happening so often now. “It’s almost like it continues to happen, and that’s what is so scary about it,” he added.
Meanwhile, Carowinds amusement park issued a statement following the event, claiming that the park’s maintenance personnel responded immediately and that no visitors were ever at risk.
All visitors were safely returned to the station and unloaded within 30 minutes, according to the statement. They also received two fast pass vouchers apiece.
Sources: Deepstaterabbithole, News18, Newsnationnow