Roller coaster riders stuck upside down for at least 3 hours due to 'mechanical failure'

WASHINGTON (TND) — Roller coaster riders at a Wisconsin carnival were stuck upside-down for at least three hours during the weekend due to what authorities have described as a "mechanical failure."

Eight passengers were suspended in an upright position on a loop of the "Fireball" amusement ride at the Forest County Festival in Crandon on Sunday.

Footage from the scene shows what appear to be several adults and a few children upside-down.

"Oh, my goodness," a witness is heard saying as rescuers climb the ride to reach the passengers.

"This is just scary," the witness adds.

In a joint news release from the Crandon Fire Department and the Crandon Area Rescue Squad, Capt. Brennan Cook said they arrived at the scene shortly after 1:30 p.m. to find the passengers "being held in inverted position by safety harnesses on cars."

They added that the ride operator told them there was a mechanical failure and was unable to lower the ride and remove the riders -- despite the fact that it had recently been inspected on-site by the State of Wisconsin.

Cook said, "an off-duty firefighter with specialized rope rescue training who was a bystander assisted in advising Crandon FD on possible rescue options." Authorities used multiple ladder trucks from several area departments, as well as "specialized technical rescue teams," to get the passengers down.

Cook said the first passenger "reached the ground" at 3:20 p.m., while the eight made it down by 5 p.m.

"A total of 9 patients were treated by EMS throughout this incident and one patient was transported by ambulance to Aspirus Rhinelander Hospital," Cook said.

Cook said 10 fire apparatus and nine ambulances -- with more than 50 first responders -- helped rescue the passengers. He thanked everyone for their assistance in "this highly stressful and unique technical rescue situation."

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