Shaking with Fear for 100 Minutes... Amusement Ride Company’s Absurd Self-Praise

13 Passengers' Nightmare 100 Minutes in the Air
Amusement Park Officials: "Proof of a Well-Designed Safety System"

At a theme park in Australia, a ride malfunctioned, leaving 13 passengers suspended in the air for about 100 minutes before being rescued, local media including Australia’s 9News reported on the 28th (local time).

[Photo by Australia 9 News YouTube capture]

The amusement park, Sea World located in Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia, experienced the incident around 2:30 PM when the ride "Vortex" stopped mid-operation due to a malfunction while carrying passengers. Vortex is a swing-type ride where about 20 people hang front and back in a row, rising up to 15 meters high and rotating 360 degrees at a speed of 30 km/h. At the time of the accident, 13 people were on board.

When the ride stopped, Sea World used a ladder truck to provide umbrellas, water, and food to reassure the passengers suspended in the air. Fire trucks and paramedics were also put on standby. It was only after 100 minutes, at 4:10 PM, that the management team was able to manually lower the ride back to its original position.

Some passengers complained of back pain and experienced symptoms of heatstroke, and were transported to the hospital for treatment. Nevertheless, Sea World issued a statement saying, "The cause of the malfunction was a sensor communication error, and all passengers were safely rescued without injuries," adding, "Visitor safety is our top priority, and this incident demonstrates that Sea World’s safety management system is well designed," praising themselves.

Sea World decided to suspend operation of the ride for the time being to inspect and repair the cause of the malfunction. A similar incident occurred at this amusement park on the 22nd, when the sensor of the roller coaster "Leviathan" stopped working, trapping 20 passengers on the ride for about an hour.