Moment roller coaster riders near the top forced to climb down amid evacuation
Riders on a roller coaster that was close to its highest point were forced to walk down the track due to an emergency evacuation.
More than a half dozen guests could be seen standing up next to the ride cars and holding on to railing while slowing descending the coaster course, in a video recorded from the ground and shared on TikTok.
The Giant Dipper at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk in California was temporarily halted mid-ride on Sunday because of a medical emergency, according to a spokesperson.
A rider suffered the medical episode inside the Giant Dipper station, and the evacuation was not owed to the ride operation.
‘During this time, the second Dipper train was on the lift hill, and due to the length of time the ride was down, we proceeded to safely evacuate the guests from the ride,’ the spokesperson told KSBW on Monday.
‘In the video, there is a trained employee at the front and the back of the evacuation line to ensure everyone is evacuated safely. This is standard evacuation procedure.’
The rider who had the emergency was transported to a hospital, while all guests were evacuated safely.
One witness in line for the Giant Dipper wrote on Facebook that a rider experienced an unknown attack as one of the trains was making its way to the start, the Daily Mail reported. Meanwhile, the other train was approaching the top and the ride was halted to prevent it from hitting the stopped train.
Ride workers were trained for such situations and the state Division of Occupational Safety and Health approved the procedures for evacuation, according to the spokesperson.
The ride reopened the same day and was operating normally on Monday.
This year, the Great Dipper is celebrating its 100th anniversary and more than 68million rides.
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‘From the first startling dip to the top of the million-dollar view, the Boardwalk’s red and white landmark is a fan favorite,’ states the attraction’s webpage.
The Giant Dipper was evacuated four days after a man was hit by the Banshee ride, which is tied for the record longest steel inverted roller coaster in the world, at Kings Island in Ohio. The man has since died.
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