HOT SPRINGS (KFSM) — Riders on X Coaster at Magic Springs amusement park in Hot Springs got a larger thrill than they bargained for on Monday afternoon (July 24).
The passengers were stuck on the ride for nearly an hour in the July heat, reported THV 11. The ride stopped around 2:31 p.m., and it didn’t return to the station until about 3:28 p.m., when it was returned manually.
Other guests at the park said they watched park employees climb up the side of the ride and pass out water to the stuck riders.
“After a while they got an anchor and they started dragging them down and they all got down safely,” Jesus Alonso told THV 11. “Some of them were crying, some of them were fine.”
Park officials said that the stranded riders kept “enjoying the park” after getting off the ride.
However, some guests were worried about the park’s response and the safety of the guests.
Cassie Smith said she thought the park lacked a sense of urgency in trying to get the riders down. She said an employee told her that the riders were laying back, and that the park had EMTs on standby as well as a person to fix the roller coaster.
“After seeing that happen, they should probably just get rid of that,” said one park guest.
This isn’t the first time that the coaster has stranded passengers. In 2007, about a dozen riders were stuck upside down for about 30 minutes when the ride stopped working after a power outage.
