Rescuers freed fifteen children and one adult Friday evening after the group got stuck on a ride at Long Island’s Adventureland amusement park.
Suffolk County Police said emergency services received a call reporting that the Wave Twister thrill ride had broken down with riders on board just before 7:30 p.m. Multiple fire departments and Emergency Services Unit officers responded to the scene.
Officials said the ride was stuck about 25 feet off the ground.
Crews spent about three hours freeing all of the passengers from the ride. CBS News New York’s Chopper 2 flew over the scene just before 10:40 p.m. as firefighters rescued the last person.
Suffolk County Police said the youngest passenger was a 5-year-old child, accompanied by a 40-year-old parent. The rest of the passengers ranged from 8 to 12 years old, police said.
No reports of injuries have surfaced at this time.
An Adventureland park spokesman said in a statement:
“For more than 60 years, Adventureland has enjoyed a proud record of safety and guest satisfaction. We understand the concern of the riders and their families who were involved today, and we will be working with our ride consultants to fully assess what happened. Until further review that ride will not be in service. We appreciate the dedication of the many first responder departments who skillfully assisted in getting our guests off the ride.”
A sixth grader trapped on the ride told CBS News New York’s Adi Guajardo that she panicked at first, but then her instincts kicked in and she started helping those around her.
“I knew the situation. I calmed down a couple kids. I was telling them it was OK, they can hold my hand and stuff like that,” she said. “A couple kids were crying. I was trying to calm them down. It was scary at first. Later in the day, it was kind of OK finally. It calmed down a little bit, but there were still kids crying.”
Earlier in the evening, the children stuck on the ride did not appear to be in distress when Chopper 2 flew over the scene. Several waved at the camera and seemed to be in good spirits.
The Wave Twister, the park’s newest ride, opened just in March. The cause of the breakdown remains unknown.
Emergency officials said they will release more information at a press conference Saturday.
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