Galveston: Eight tourists were rescued after being stranded on a malfunctioning roller coaster for four hours. Eight tourists faced a difficult time after being stranded near the top of the Iron Shark roller coaster at an amusement park in Galveston, Texas, for more than four hours on Thursday (May 28) before being rescued safely.
According to Thai News Agency, the incident occurred at 5:21 p.m. local time when the Iron Shark roller coaster at Galveston Island Historic Pleasure Pier malfunctioned and suddenly stopped near the top of the 100-foot vertical drop. Eight people, all students from Houston on a field trip, were trapped inside, leaning backward and facing upwards. The Galveston Fire Department dispatched a six-person rescue team using a high-level ladder lift. They then carefully secured the students with safety harnesses and evacuated them one by one.
The entire operation took about four hours. The last student was safely rescued shortly after 9:00 PM. There were no reports of serious injuries, but all students received medical checkups at the scene due to dehydration after being exposed to the sun for an extended period. The amusement park was evacuated and temporarily closed during the rescue operation.
The amusement park owner stated that the ride's safety system functioned normally by immediately locking the train in place when the malfunction occurred. The deeper technical cause is under investigation, and the Iron Shark roller coaster will be closed indefinitely until a thorough safety inspection is completed.