All the riders on board a roller coaster at Six Flags America were rescued safely Thursday night after the coaster stalled about four hours earlier.
The Joker's Jinx has stalled with 24 people on board, according to Prince George's County Fire spokesman Mark Brady. The roller coaster car was stalled about 100 feet in the air and tilted at about a 20-30 degree angle.
Seven children and 17 adults were on board when the roller coaster stalled. Fire crews were able to rescue all 24 riders safely.
When crews responded to the scene, Brady said the riders are upright and don't appear to be in distress.
Even though all the riders were in good health and not in distress, Brady said the fire department was going to take its time with rescuing the riders to ensure everyone's safety. The estimated rescue time was four hours.
Brady says he has full faith that the rides at Six Flags are properly maintained. If something does go wrong, Brady says Six Flags has a great staff that is able to help people out.
Six Flags released the following statement Thursday night:
"Earlier this evening, Joker’s Jinx did not complete its regular ride cycle causing it to stop at a safe location on the track. The Prince George's County Fire Department was assisted by the Anne Arundel County Fire Department in getting the riders safely off the ride, and this process was completed at 9:21 p.m. The safety of our guests is our highest priority and the ride will be closed for a thorough inspection before re-opening."
The same ride with the same amount of people became stalled in August 2014.
This is at least the fourth time since 2014 the Joker's Jinx has broken down with people on board, CBS News reports.
According to Six Flags America, the Joker’s Jinx launches riders from zero to 60 miles per hour in just over three seconds. The rider lasts 75 seconds. It debuted at the amusement park in 1999.
Stuck in the air #jokerjinx #sixflags @sixflagsamerica #gothamcity
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