A trip to Six Flags St. Louis took an unexpected turn for a family who found themselves stuck more than 100 feet in the air after a ride malfunctioned.
Two adults and two teens were stranded on the Sky Screamer, a 236-foot-tall swing ride, after it malfunctioned Thursday evening, according to local media reports. They were suspended 120 feet above the ground for more than two hours before rescue crews swooped in and brought them to safety.
The family was “absolutely amazing” and remained “so calm” throughout the ordeal, a spokesperson for the amusement park local outlet KSDK. Rescue crews responded after staff members weren’t able to lower the ride’s swings on their own, park officials said in a statement sent to Fox2Now.
Rescuers from the Eureka Fire Protection District and other agencies used a crane to retrieve the family — and just in the nick of time, too. A storm with heavy rain, high winds and lightning rolled through the area about 20 minutes after the family made it to the ground. Those conditions could’ve complicated the rescue operation.
“[Crews] went up, contacted the teenagers first, placed them in harnesses, removed the riders’ safety equipment and transferred them to the crane’s basket. They were then lowered to the ground,” Eureka Fire Chief Scott Barthelmass told The Independent.
“Then the same process was followed for the two adults. A secondary system (involving ropes) was simultaneously set up in case we encountered an issue with the crane or could not reach the individuals. We did not have to use that system,” he added.
There were no injuries to the family or first responders, Barthelmass confirmed.
It’s still unclear what caused the Sky Screamer to malfunction. Staff regularly perform maintenance tests on the rides, according to park officials.
“Every single day, our maintenance tests it every day, our ride operators test it every day. It has to be signed off by multiple maintenance departments before it can be opened, and that’s for every single ride we have. If there aren’t X amount of sign-offs, it just does not open,” a Six Flags St. Louis spokesperson told KSDK.
The Independent has requested comment from Enchanted Parks, which operates Six Flags St. Louis.
