8 Students Rescued From 100-Foot Roller Coaster Lift After Being Stuck For Hours

Getting stuck on a roller coaster is many people’s idea of a nightmare, but even people like us, who are in Disney World nearly every day and sometimes find getting stuck on a ride fun and new, may start to freak out in this situation.

©Baynum

On Thursday, May 28th, students on a field trip at Pleasure Pier in Galveston, Texas, found themselves stuck on the Iron Shark roller coaster…right at the top of the ride’s 100-foot inversion.

According to ABC 13, the Iron Shark, the tallest roller coaster at Pleasure Pier, stopped on the 100-foot inversion hill at 5:21 PM on Thursday, May 28th, with eight school-aged passengers on board. The students were in the theme park as part of a field trip organized by Energized for STEM Academy Middle School and STEM Academy High School. When the ride was unable to be started again, firefighters were notified at 5:37 PM and dispatched to rescue the riders.

©ABC 13

It was later confirmed that the ride stop was due to a sensor failing, which caused a malfunction that was not detectable in advance of the incident. Landry’s Inc., the company that owns the park, confirmed that the ride functioned exactly how it should in a situation like this. In a statement released, they said, “Our focus immediately shifted to the safety of our guests. Therefore, we contacted the Fire Department to assist, ensuring all guests were safely removed from the ride. A thorough inspection of the ride will take place before it is placed back in service.”

©Pleasure Pier

The amusement park as a whole was closed during the rescue operation, allowing the Galveston Fire Department’s Tower 1 engine to take up space on the pier and get to the riders. Houston ISD released a statement saying that they are “grateful that all students, staff, and chaperones are safe,” and that “School administration is in direct contact with the families of all students who were on the trip.”

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