A broken ride at Knott’s Berry Farm in Orange County left two thrill-seekers detained for over two hours on Monday, sending them to the hospital.
On Sol Spin, a rollercoaster that propels visitors up to six floors into the air while they rotate independently on one of six spinning arms, the two riders were among 22 individuals dangling in midair.
Around 4 p.m., Sky5’s video showed the ride frozen in midair, with some riders locked in a position that was almost vertical.
The rollercoaster had a technical problem at around 2:00 p.m., according to theme park officials, and maintenance personnel were dispatched to fix it so that riders could be safely evacuated.
The 22 trapped riders were allowed to disembark when workers safely lowered the attraction to the ground about 4:30 p.m.
Although theme park officials first claimed no injuries were reported, video showed at least one passenger used a wheelchair when removing himself off the ride.
In a revised statement released later Monday night, Knott’s stated that two female riders were taken to a nearby hospital “out of an abundance of caution.”
Although the fire department stated that theme park employees were handling the situation, an Orange County Fire Authority representative was sent to the Buena Park amusement park.
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The fast-paced spinning amusement “Sol Spin” concurrently rotates riders in three different directions. According to the Knott’s Berry Farm website, “riders on the freely rotating, floorless gondolas get a real sense of being airborne while suspended and flipping above the ground.”
