This is the harrowing moment a rollercoaster stopped and thrillseekers were left 33ft up in the air. A major rescue operation was launched to free 20 passengers who were left stranded on the tracks in blistering 30C heat.
The dramatic scenes unfolded on Wednesday at Warner Bros. Movie World in Australia when the DC Rivals HyperCoaster broke down during a routine run. Onlookers watched in horror as the ride stopped climbing on a steep incline, moments before it was set to hurtle down a near-vertical drop. Passengers were left suspended above the descent with no explanation as to why the rollercoaster had stalled. Movie World staff were eventually forced to climb up the scorching metal structure before escorting each rider down individually at around 1pm.
The rescue took more than two hours to complete, with passengers stuck at the very top of the coaster handed umbrellas to protect them from the blazing sunshine.
A spokesperson for Village Roadshow Theme Parks later confirmed the breakdown had been triggered by a ride sensor activation.
The added: “All guests are safe and we are currently exiting them from the safe stop zones.
“At all times throughout the stoppage, the guests on board were safe and our team were in constant communication with them.
“The safety and wellbeing of our guests is our highest priority and ride stoppages are proof rides systems and operators are doing as they are designed and trained to do to keep our guests safe.”
As part of a post on its official Facebook, Warner Bros. Movie World added: “The guests on board exited the ride from the safe stop zones with the help of our team, before walking down the lift hill.
“The safety and wellbeing of our guests is our highest priority and ride stoppages are proof rides systems and operators are doing as they are designed and trained to do to keep our guests safe.”
The DC Rivals HyperCoaster is advertised as the “tallest, longest and fastest HyperCoaster in the Southern Hemisphere.
It can hit speeds of up to 115km/h, equivalent to around 71mph, while reaching heights of roughly 200ft.
The incident comes just weeks after 12 children had to be rescued from a malfunctioning ride using a forklift.
Horrified parents looked on as the dragon-themed ride at Barry Island Pleasure Park suddenly stopped after one of its front wheel bearings became jammed.
Specialists were brought in to remove the children safely and avoid what could have become a serious accident.