Amusement park guests were stuck upside down on a ride at Canada's Wonderland amusement park ride for nearly half an hour, causing chest pain to some and inducing vomitting in another while they dangled above horrified bystanders.
Riders on the Lumberjack attraction at Canada’s Wonderland in Ontario were stuck upside down on Sunday, according to the park.
The company said the ride became inverted and stalled with guests onboard around 10.40pm and remained that way until 11.05pm, according to CBC Toronto.
Spencer Parkhouse, 11, and his 15-year-old sister, Mackenzie, spoke with the CBC about their experience.
When the ride first stalled, they assumed that it was part of the ride's programmed movements — a moment of hang time to increase the thrill of the experience — but soon realised something had gone wrong.
"[I was] just like feeling — when are we going to drop down? Are we ever going to drop down?" Spencer told the CBC.
The ride was his first "big ride" at the park, and may be his last for awhile, as he said the experience left him traumatised. He recalled the panic from the other riders, recounting how one even vomited while hanging upside down.
After a half an hour the ride eventually started moving again, but he and his sister were stuck on-board. The ride had to continue through its pre-programmed course before they could safely disembark, which meant the scared riders had to finish out the remainder of the flips and dips the Lumberjack had to offer.
Riders on the Lumberjack ride at Canada’s Wonderland in Ontario are stuck upside down for nearly half-an-hour— (screengrab/@jiashira_/TikTok)
Spencer said "the ride kept going and we're all like 'no, please, I don't want to get stuck again.'"
When the ride finally finished the passengers exited and were met by park staff who examined them for injuries, according to Mackenzie.
She said the experience left her afraid to go on the park's big rides in the future.
The park said that two riders experienced chest pains and were taken for examination at the on-site health centre, according to a statement released by Canada's Wonderland.
"Guests were unloaded safely and assessed by first aid staff before being released back into the park," the park said. "The safety of our guests is always our first priority."
