THRILL seekers at Oakwood got a bit of a fright yesterday (Tuesday) afternoon when rollercoaster Speed broke down leaving them suspended 100ft in the air for nearly half an hour.

Photographer Paul Rankin, of Cross Hands, was enjoying a day at the park with his family when he spotted the seven stranded passengers who were rescued by park engineers at around midday on August 6.

“It became apparent that these people were stuck and it took about 25/30minutes for the engineer to get out there.

“Unfortunately for them they had to continue the rest of the ride, there were no screams I think they were holding on for dear life.

“One employee said it had never happened before.”

The ride was closed for the remainder of the day.

A spokesman for Oakwood Theme Park said that engineers had identified an external power cut or surge which affected the ride and nearby restaurant.

They checked on the well-being of the passengers, using the engineering lift to speak to them and explain that the ride was going to be restarted. “In total they estimate the car was stationary on the ride for under 20 minutes before being returned to the disembarkation point where the passengers got off.

“Subsequently it was established the power cut had interfered with the transmitter for the engineering lift and, as a further safety precaution, the ride was closed down for the day.

“The well-being of our visitors is at the heart of everything we do at Oakwood Theme Park and there are strict procedures in place to ensure their safety.

“The Speed ride could have been re-started almost immediately, but as part of our rigorous safety regulations we notified passengers on board the ride what had happened and also confirmed they were safe and well - these safety procedures resulted in the vast majority of the additional waiting time.”

 

*Were you stuck on Speed yesterday? Get in touch at wtnews@westerntelegraph.co.uk