This is the dramatic moment Southend theme park goers had to be rescued from a rollercoaster after they were stuck lying on their back for 35 minutes.
A rescue operation was launched at Adventure Island in Southend, Essex, yesterday after the 72-foot-high Rage rollercoaster broke down and riders were left suspended.
Rescuers scrambled to help those stuck – who spent more than half an hour in a car dangling vertically while staring up at the sky – off the ride.
Passengers on the ride were seen clapping and cheering as they were each taken off the ride to safety.
It is the second time in less than three months that the ride has broken down and left riders hanging on the tracks.
Adventure island’s managing director Marc Miller told MailOnline: ‘A carriage on Rage was stopped on the lower section of the lift, via the rides computer, dual process safety PLC.
‘Our trained team initiated the rehearsed measures, which have been certified by the Health and Safety Executives and Essex Fire and Rescue.’
He added: ‘The group of friends were all in good spirits and down, safe and sound in under 35 minutes and then happy to carry on with their day at Adventure Island.
‘Rage then went through its full testing processes to reopen later in the afternoon.’
The same ride also came to a halt on July 28, when horrified onlookers watched as rescuers scrambled to the aid of eight people stuck ‘at the top’.
Footage again showed one of the cars stuck dangling vertically from the track as the riders faced the sky.
Onlooker Gemma Fletcher said she heard ‘a bang, some clattering and screeching’.
She added: ‘The riders didn’t seem distressed as there was no audible screaming and no flailing arms or anything.
‘However when they evacuated the ride the first man they took off was clinging onto the lift and looked in a bad way.
Gemma added: ‘By the reaction of the staff members, and the sound the ride made, this wasn’t anything they had rehearsed for.
‘This was a serious, non predictable and non rehearsed, emergency.’
Adventure Island describes itself as ‘The UK’s No.1 Free Admission Fun Park’.
Another witness, who’s brother was stuck in July’s incident, said she was ‘so scared’ when she realised the ride had stopped.
When asked how her brother was afterwards, she said: ‘Perfectly fine, surprisingly he was fearless about it.’
The concerned sister, who asked to remain anonymous, praised Adventure Island’s response to the incident.
She said: ‘They did amazingly! Supported all the families and kept away passers-by.’
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