A rollercoaster malfunctioned and left riders hanging upside down for several hours, terrifying images show.
The incident occurred at the Forest County Festival in Crandon, Wisconsin on Sunday. Video footage circulating on social media showed stranded passengers on the stalled rollercoaster while rescuers worked to free them.
Emergency responders from neighbouring counties were called to assist. The Crandon Fire Department stated that there was a mechanical failure causing the ride to become stuck in the upright position, but the exact cause remains unknown.
Fortunately, all passengers were eventually rescued and taken to the hospital for evaluation.
There were eight people stuck in the nightmarish incident, and seven of them were children, authorities said.
The Antigo Fire Department was called to the scene and conducted a rescue operation using their aerial tower apparatus.
Firefighter EMT Erica Kostichka emphasised the importance of prioritising life safety and ensuring the proper harnesses and safety measures were in place before proceeding with the rescue.
She told WSAW-TV: "They did all very well. Obviously, they were scared. They had been upside down for quite some time."
The incident was captured on video by a Facebook user named Scott Brass.
He wrote: "Everyone got down safe. Kudos to the little girl who told the fireman to go rescue the older man first because he was struggling. That little girl deserves a medal of courage for sure."
The eight people were eventually safely removed from the ride later that evening. The cause of the ride malfunction remains unclear to the department.
This incident adds to a series of rollercoaster mishaps, with a recent case in North Carolina where a rollercoaster was shut down due to a visible crack in a support beam.
The park confirmed that the ride would be closed indefinitely for repairs.
