A rollercoaster at Carowinds amusement park in North Carolina, US, suddenly stopped working and left riders hanging upside down for 45 minutes, Fox 59 reported.
Riders got trapped in the Flying Cobra, which sends riders through a 360-degree loop. The 125-foot-tall coaster speeds up to 50 miles per hour and flips six times during the trip.
Allen, one of the riders stuck on the coaster, described the horrifying experience. “I personally watched my tears fall from the sky. It was terrifying,” he said.
“We go to the very top where they’re backing you up, and he was doing a countdown", he added. ‘We’re sorry, we’re having some technical difficulties,’ and we thought he was joking because of the surprise element or something.” He said that the minutes of being stuck felt like hours. Allen told Fox 59 that they were told that the ride will be fixed anywhere between 35 to 45 minutes. “Which may not be major, but it’s a big deal when you’re just facing the ground completely. There were parents trying to talk to their children screaming, ‘It’s going to be okay!", the rider told Fox 59.
Meanwhile, the Carowinds amusement park released a statement regarding the incident, Fox 59 reported. The statement said that the park's maintenance team responded in no time and ensured the security of our guests. The statement added that all guests were returned safely to the station and unloaded within 30 minutes. According to the Carowinds website, rides are licensed and inspected by the North Carolina and South Carolina Departments of Labor. Also, riders were each given two fast pass vouchers.
