Texas roller coaster malfunction leaves riders stranded 100 feet in the air for hours

Eight riders were stranded nearly 100 feet in the air on Thursday evening after a roller coaster in Texas stopped during its vertical climb.

The Iron Shark roller coaster at Galveston Island Historic Pleasure Pier came to a stop midride, leaving the riders stuck on the incline for several hours.

Video of the incident shows them seated in two rows of four facing the sky, just before reaching the top of the ride.

The Houston Independent School District said in a statement that the passengers on the roller coaster were on a field trip. It was organized by Energized for STEM Academy Middle School and STEM Academy High School, two HISD in-district charter schools, the district wrote.

Fire Chief Mike Varela Jr.said at a news conference that crews arrived around 5:30 p.m. to rescue the students. One by one, each rider was placed in a safety harness and guided into a truck basket, which then lowered them to the ground.

“Once they made it up there, you know, they were able to use their skills to calm everyone down and reassure them that the equipment being used would keep them safe,” Varela said.

Varela said the riders were “shaken up,” but “felt a sense of joy as well once their feet hit the ground.”

A spokesperson for the city of Galveston said in a statement that they were all brought down safely.

“The Galveston Fire Department safely extracted the last person shortly after 9 p.m.,” the spokesperson said.

Varelanoted that transferring the students from the roller coaster to the fire truck basket was the most critical part, as the students were exposed to the sun and there were concerns about them experiencing dehydration.

“We have to be very careful, especially with the rescuers we had in the basket at the time,” he said.

Terry Turney, chief operating officer of Pleasure Pier, said in a statement that “the ride experienced a malfunction at its initial ascent.”

“However, as designed, it immediately stopped to keep everyone safe. Our focus immediately shifted to the safety of our eight guests,” Turney said.

“Therefore, we contacted the fire department to assist, ensuring all guests were safely removed from the ride. A thorough inspection of the ride is currently underway. We can’t thank the fire department enough for their quick response and assistance.”

According to the Pleasure Pier website, the Iron Shark roller coaster reaches speeds of up to 52 miles per hour and travels along a 1,246-foot track. The steel roller coaster also features a 100-foot vertical drop.

“Those crews were top-notch today,” Varelasaid. “I can’t say enough about them. They’re well trained; they’re ready to go when called upon.”

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