When you spot those dodgy-looking amusement parks, there’s always a curiosity to see just how dangerous they are. I know I’ve taken my life into my hands a few times riding on things that probably didn’t pass their safety inspection when they were built three decades ago.
Riders in India’s VGP Universal Kingdom amusement park have become stuck on a beat-up old rollercoaster ride for 3 hours. The stranded risk takers were left, exposed, and terrified until emergency services were able to arrive.
According to the report, the ride became stuck around 50 meters from the ground. The 30 riders included eight children and numerous other exhausted, dehydrated people. The attraction, named Top Gun, was designed to take passengers up vertically, before plunging down. However, at the very top of the amusement park ride, a mechanical jolt was felt, leaving the riders stranded.
Despite the best efforts of the attendants and other park staff, nothing could be done. Various rescue efforts were made, including a crane. But, in the end, the emergency services had to be called for the sky-high riders.
Minutes Turn To Hours For Stuck Amusement Park Ride Prisoners
The ride, which was originally supposed to be only three minutes, began to stretch to hours. The people trapped on the amusement park ride began to shout from their vantage point. The sun beat down, leaving them feeling dehydrated, dizzy, and terrified.
“Panic broke out on the ride, but help didn’t arrive for nearly two hours,” a woman told the Press Trust of India. According to her report, people on the ride were using their phones to contact emergency services and call for help using Instagram.
Initially, the staff tried to solve the problem themselves. Presumably, they didn’t want emergency services involved due to the investigations that would result. It took them three hours to finally call firefighters to the scene.
With the right tools, the emergency services were able to rescue the stuck riders from the broken amusement park ride. However, the indian theme park isn’t getting away scott free. According to a local outlet, a full investigation into the park is underway. Initial reports state that “Preliminary findings suggest the ride was not properly maintained and had preexisting mechanical issues that were ignored by the operators.”