Emergency responders swiftly came to the aid of visitors at a theme park on Thursday when a roller coaster carriage got stuck above a daunting 90-degree drop. Photos of the incident at Pleasure Pier’s Iron Shark ride showed rescuers using a ladder to reach the stranded passengers, mainly young individuals, including one who seemed notably younger than the others.
The roller coaster had been motionless since approximately 5:30 p.m. local time, leaving the riders stranded for over three hours until nightfall at around 8:30 p.m. forced rescuers to use headlamps to safely evacuate them.
Standing as the tallest attraction on the pier, the Iron Shark boasts a towering 100-foot vertical lift hill. Reports revealed that the passengers, who were students from Houston on a senior trip, were trapped on the ride. The coaster, which normally reaches speeds of 52 mph, requires riders to be at least 42 inches tall, as per Pleasure Pier guidelines.
Live video footage captured firefighters methodically ascending the track to reach the stranded passengers, securing each one with a harness before carefully lowering them to safety one by one.
By 9:10 p.m. local time, all eight passengers had been successfully brought down. Terry Turney, the Chief Operating Officer of Pleasure Pier, confirmed that the stoppage was a precautionary safety measure triggered by a malfunction during the initial ascent. He emphasized that guest safety was their top priority and that a thorough inspection would precede the ride’s resumption.
Describing the coaster as having a “beyond-vertical drop,” the Pleasure Pier website highlighted its thrilling features, including a 100-foot vertical lift, speeds of 52 mph, a diving loop, a greater than vertical drop, and four full inversions.
Galveston Fire Chief Mike Varela Jr., present at the scene, reported that the rescued students were being evaluated by medical staff, with no need for hospitalization.
