Terrified tourists left dangling 200ft in the air after ride malfunction

Thrillseekers got more than they bargained for after what was supposed to be a fun family amusement ride broke down leaving them stranded almost 200 feet above the ground.

Dozens had to be rescued after the 59-metre (194-ft) high panoramic tower ride jolted to a sudden stop over the seaside city of Balneario Camboriu in Brazil.

The Super Gyro Tower suddenly stopped rotating while carrying dozens of tourists and staff on January 30.

Attorney Andre de Oliveira Couto, who was on the ride with his family, said that the ride then slowly began descending before it jolted and then froze in place.

Video footage shows passengers suspended high above the park as rescue teams secured ropes and safety gear, before lowering people one by one down the side of the structure using the tower’s maintenance access.

Visitors said those inside the cabin waited for long periods with limited information as the evacuation was organised.

Park employees later informed passengers that the ride’s safety lock had been automatically triggered following a power outage.

Around 40 people, including tourists and workers, had begun descending by rope, while later a ladder truck arrived to accelerate the removal of those still stranded.

Mr Couto said: ‘We were up there for more than two hours. They were bringing people down by rope.’

The Super Gyro Tower, opened to much fanfare three months ago, can carry up to 50 people per ride and operates around 300 trips a day, offering panoramic views from nearly 300 metres (980 feet) above sea level.

Parque Unipraias said all passengers were evacuated through the emergency exit with support from trained safety teams and confirmed the attraction would undergo maintenance.

Still they can count themselves lucky because in America, it took rescuers twice as long to reach the people stuck on the Star Tower at Casey’s Rides in May.

Last year, 25 people had to be rescued on the Skegness Pleasure Beach fairground after the Super Trooper ride got suspended in the air.

It is not known what is officially the longest time people have been stuck when rides have broken down.

But in 2017, 30 riders were trapped around 70ft in the air for five hours at the historic Hull Fair. They were given blankets to stay warm.

Two people suffered critical injuries after a funfair ride collapsed at the Lambeth Country Show in south London last summer.