Phoenix Roller Coaster Stalls While 22 People On Board - Fire Department
Fire crews from the Phoenix Fire Department rescued at least 22 people stuck on a roller coaster. KPHO initially reported that the tragic incident happened at the Castles 'N Coasters amusement park in Phoenix.
Firefighters were called out to the said amusement park just before six in the evening on Saturday. At around 5:30 in the afternoon, rescue crews from Phoenix Fire were joined by rescuers from Glendale fire when they responded at the scene.
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Phoenix Roller Coaster Stalls
12 News reported that the roller coaster was stalled at around 20 feet high on a horizontal loop while the 22 people were on board the ride. Fox 10 reported that the ride "Desert Storm" was the roller coaster ride that malfunctioned.
Phoenix Fire Department also posted a video on their official Twitter account regarding the recent incident. The video showed that a fire truck and an ambulance was along with other responders are already in the area of the incident. The rescuers utilized a cinch collar and harness to bring the people out safely from the roller coaster as well as a 30-foot ladder.
Phoenix Fire Department also noted in their tweet that the rescuers utilized a high-angle belay system.
"They had to unlock the thing to hold us on," Joseph Almarez was quoted in a Fox 10 report. He added that the rescuers hold on to them and guided them to the ladder to get them back down. Almarez shared that the experience "was scary" because they were sitting on the edge while the roller coaster was stalled. Almarez's family was riding the Desert Storm and was rescued by the authorities.
A family member of Almarez who also rode the roller coaster uttered that there were a lot of kids with them, and they were really terrified. He also shared that there was a kid he was holding on to while stranded in the ride because "she was so small she couldn't hold herself up."
Authorities reported no injuries were sustained by the individuals in the roller coaster. 12 news also underscored that the people who were rescued were evaluated. Meanwhile, the Almarez family highlighted that they would still ride the roller coaster in the future despite what happened.
The Amusement Park
KPHO noted that the amusement park where the roller coaster stalled has been in the area since 1976. The park initially started as a mini-golf place.
There were two roller coasters in the amusement park called Desert Storm and Patriot. Fox 10 noted that the roller coaster that stalled while 22 people were on board was the Desert Storm. Details regarding why the Desert Storm have suddenly stopped while operating were not yet available.
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