Customers were stuck on a Hyde Park Winter Wonderland pendulum-style ride when it was hit by a power outage.
The drop in electricity caused the Blizzard, as it is called, to freeze in mid air for eight minutes on Saturday night before it was fixed to allow people safely off.
Managers of the popular Christmas attraction have said that nobody was hurt in the incident and that reports of riders dangling upside down for up to 35 minutes are incorrect.
A spokesperson said: “We can confirm that the Blizzard ride had a power outage that lasted eight minutes on the evening of December 30.
“The issue was handled quickly by the ride operators and customer services and the riders were safely escorted off the ride.”
Ride malfunctions leaving users mid-air for 35 Minutes at Winter Wonderland last night 🫣
— London & UK Street News (@CrimeLdn) December 31, 2023
Cc @Ig1Ig3 pic.twitter.com/NPqy6lj4Wc
Almost half a million have seen a video (above) on Twitter showing the ride suspended with a caption saying that customers were in the air for 35 minutes. But the park has denied this, saying it was only eight.
The statement added: “The safety of our visitors is our top priority, and all of our rides undergo rigorous and regular safety checks by experienced members of staff.”
Now a well established fixture in London’s calendar, the Winter Wonderland opened on November 17 offering rides, market stalls and fairground games.
The attraction is only set to be open for a few more days before it closes for the season - which will sadden some, and perhaps relieve others who complained about the business.
𝐏𝐑𝐄 𝐌𝐀𝐓𝐂𝐇 𝐏𝐑𝐄𝐏𝐄𝐑𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 😉 In Winter Wonderland 🎯 pic.twitter.com/s0f5ZnWHRl
— Michael Van Gerwen (@MvG180) December 30, 2023
Darts world champion Michael Van Gerwen was a guest at the Winter Wonderland on Saturday and was filmed getting some target practice at a fairground stall.
“Pre match preparation,” he tweeted, prompting replies of people sending photos of him enthusiastically winning various points.
Van Gerwen is set to play his quarter final in the 2024 World Championship at Alexandra Palace on New Year’s Day.
He is not the first celebrity to have graced Hyde Park with actor Tom Cruise having reportedly been on a date with Russian model Elsina Khayrova.
According to The Sun, the pair enjoyed another date night over the weekend at Hyde Park's festive attraction, Winter Wonderland.
The couple managed to go incognito, enjoying the attraction’s beer hall, ice rink and fairground rides.
