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High drama in roller coaster rescue | Travel News | News.com.au
High drama in roller coaster rescue | Travel News | News.com.au
THRILL seekers were left clinging to a roller coaster 21m off the ground after it malfunctioned.
Up to 24 people were suspended on the Invertigo at the Great America Theme Park in Santa Clara, northern California.
The inverted roller coaster, which reaches speeds of up to 80kmh, stalled on an incline leaving riders with their feet dangling.
One woman trapped on the roller coaster posted her experience on Twitter, saying: "Watching some kid three rows ahead of you puke it all over the gathering spectators 40 feet below: PRICELESS."
The post, by Cynful1, said she felt "like a cherry in the roller coaster tree of life".
And her frustration was evident when she shared this thought: "This MotherF***ing SAFETY BAR on this MotherF***ing ROLLER COASTER is keeping me from reaching my MotherF***ing LIP GLOSS!"
The riders were freed three hours later when the Santa Clara Fire Department winched fireman up to the roller coaster.
The department's vertical rescue team had to release each rider manually from the safety harness keeping them attached to the roller coaster.
"Oh Mr. Fireman PICK ME! PICK ME!" wrote Cynful1 in her Twitter post.
It is the third time the Invertigo has broken down since it opened in 1998.
In June, 2000, it suddenly halted as it was about to plunge down the first descent.
The roller coaster jammed again in July, 2001, this time at 42m.