Eight students were stranded for hours on Thursday atop Pleasure Pier’s Iron Shark roller coaster in Galveston, Texas—a ride towering 100 feet above the pier. Fire crews were called to the scene at around 5:37 p.m., and the amusement park was closed during the rescue operation. The students, who were on a school field trip, became trapped after the ride suddenly malfunctioned and came to a stop, according to ABC 7. The final rider was rescued after 8 p.m., roughly three hours after the malfunction occurred. Firefighters used a ladder truck to reach the riders, who were left suspended at a near-90-degree angle several stories above the ground. Rescue crews removed each rider individually, securing them before lowering them into a basket attached to the top of the ladder. Student Cayce Escobar, who spoke with ABC 7 and was next in line for the ride, said the roller coaster made “a big bang” noise before suddenly stopping. Escobar said the ride operator then tried pressing several buttons before telling everyone waiting in line to leave the area. “We are grateful that all students, staff, and chaperones are safe,” the Houston Independent School District said in a statement.
Read it at ABC 7
