Rollercoaster breaks down leaving thrill-seekers stranded on backs 100ft in air

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Rollercoaster breaks down leaving thrill-seekers stranded on backs 100ft in air
Rollercoaster breaks down leaving thrill-seekers stranded on backs 100ft in air

This is the terrifying moment seven thrill-seekers were left stranded 100ft in the air after a rollercoaster broke down.

Six adults and one child were left trapped in the air for around half an hour. The ride was going up a steep incline when it stopped, leaving the riders in a near vertical position. The rollercoaster, named Krater, stopped working at the Parque del Café, in Montenegro, west of Bogota, Colombia, on 3 January.

Other park customers captured the moment the thrill-seekers were rescued by the emergency services using a service lift. One video shows two rescuers standing at the top of the ride, apparently comforting the seven strapped-in passengers. Meanwhile, two other emergency workers are seen ascending the ride on the service lift to assist with the rescue operation. After around 30 minutes, the group made it safely back to terra firma without injury.

Following the incident, a park spokesperson reiterated their commitment to public safety and praised the actions of the emergency workers who took part in the rescue. One local said: “Something always happens to that attraction.” Another added: “Fortunately everything was resolved and turned out well.” Sebastian said: “That must be horrible.” Juliana remarked: “I would die.” Larry commented: “I have a friend in the park right now and I recommended that rollercoaster to her. Right now she isn’t talking to me.”

Rollercoaster breaks down leaving thrill-seekers stranded on backs 100ft in air qhidqkiridtzinvLocals said that the ride was often malfunctioning (Jam Press Vid)
Rollercoaster breaks down leaving thrill-seekers stranded on backs 100ft in airOne of the passengers was left hanging upside down (Jam Press Vid)

The Krater rollercoaster, the park’s main attraction, opened in 2015. The ride was opened to celebrate the park’s 30th anniversary. The rollercoaster has several 360 and 180 degree turns and can reach speeds of up to 53mph.

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It comes within hours of the Southern Hemisphere's largest rollercoaster breaking down just moments before riders plunged down an enormous 89-degree drop on the Movie World coaster on Australia's Gold Coast. Staff were removing the last passenger suspended on the DC Rivals HyperCoaster at 3pm local time Friday (4am).

According to reports, a scarf had reportedly become entangled around the wheel of one of the trains, bringing it to an immediate halt when it was climbing the lift hill. To evacuate the enormous rollercoaster, each passenger was given a harness and told to walk down the stairs to the load station. Safety crews watched on, monitoring the situation to make sure no one was hurt.

Rollercoaster breaks down leaving thrill-seekers stranded on backs 100ft in airThe ride is the park's biggest attractions (Jam Press Vid)

Warner Bros Movie World have released a statement, saying that their highly-trained ride operators spotted the hazard, using their control systems to stop the ride as it reached the hill as a precaution. "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 read.

"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. 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."

The ride will go back to being open and operational after the scarf is removed from the ride. The 1.4km HyperCoaster is the tallest, longest and fastest rollercoaster in the Southern Hemisphere, featuring an enormous 89-degree drop.

Ryan Fahey

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