Not so fun fair: 45 stuck in the air after roller-coaster malfunctions at Canadian park

Forty-five people were stuck for in the air for nearly half an hour when a roller-coaster ride at an amusement park in Canada malfunctioned. Picture: Canada Wonderland Facebook

Forty-five people were stuck for in the air for nearly half an hour when a roller-coaster ride at an amusement park in Canada malfunctioned. Picture: Canada Wonderland Facebook

Published Sep 27, 2023

Share

What began as a fun outing to the fair quickly turned to panic after a roller-coaster stopped working, leaving more than 40 people up in the air for almost 30 minutes.

At the weekend, several media outlets reported that 45 people had to be rescued when the Lumberjack ride at Canada's Wonderland stopped working.

National Post reported that 45 people were on board at the time when the popular ride at the fun park got stuck.

According to the publication, maintenance teams rushed to the scene and managed to bring the ride back to the ground by 11.05pm.

In a clip shared on TikTok, people can be seen on the ride, stuck in the air.

@nbcnews A group of riders at an #amusementpark were stuck upside down for nearly 30 minutes at #Canada ♬ original sound - nbcnews

Canada Wonderlands spokesperson, Grace Peacock said once the affected guests were safely on the ground, they were all examined by first aid staff. Peacock said two guests complained of chest pains, but once treated by the park's medical team, they did not require further help.

An investigation is under way to establish what caused the issue with the Lumberjack roller-coaster.

Siblings, Spencer and Mackenzie Parkhouse were among those stuck on the roller-coaster.

Speaking to CBC News, they said when the ride came down, they thought it was just part of the experience.

Eleven-year-old Spencer said it was only when ambulances raced to the park that he realised something was wrong.

He told CBC News that he was traumatised. He said people on the ride were hanging upside down and one person vomited. He said when the ride started working again, guests could not get off as the ride had to come to an end.

Fifteen-year-old Mackenzie told CBC News that the event will have a lasting impact on her.

In KwaZulu-Natal, a group of visitors to the Royal Show in Pietermaritzburg were left suspended in the air while on a funfair ride there, due to load shedding.

IOL