Coney Island Cyclone Stops, Roller Coaster Accident Avoided As Riders Forced To Climb Down
The Coney Island Cyclone roller coaster has broken down once again. Instead of the infamous drop that the 88-year-old theme park ride has boasted, the passengers found themselves stuck at the top and avoided a potential roller coaster accident.
Another recent ride which ended in Coney Island was that of a Minke whale, as previously reported by the Inquisitr. Sadly, this seafaring 18-foot friend appeared to have been struck and decapitated by a propeller, and simply washed ashore on the beach.
Thankfully nobody was injured when the Cyclone stopped at the crest of the ride after a 60 degree rise. The 24 passengers stuck aboard the ride were instead forced to climb down, hand-in-hand with rescuers.
Some, such as 30-year-old Brooklyn artist Sophia Flood, knew the risk.
“The car stopped. We heard a sudden click and a brake and the car just stopped – that’s it. If you are riding the Cyclone, you should know you are taking a chance, and if you are not willing to take that chance, you shouldn’t ride it.”
The climb down the Coney Island Cyclone turned out to be the scariest part of the ride. Thirty-six-year-old Michael Osborn, who had braved it with his girlfriend, 34-year-old Jessica Laux, recounted the level of alleged disrepair.
“Luckily, it stopped before the big drop. … We were mildly concerned, sure. That [climb down] was worse than the stop. The ladder – the rungs aren’t too stable.”
Osborn wondered why the ride was still in operation after 88 years, according to the New York Post.
This isn’t the first time it’s happened either. On March 29 of this year, the Coney Island roller coaster stopped and left 12 passengers with their feet hanging in the air, as the video above shows.
Coney Island’s Cyclone screeched to a halt mid-ride – forcing riders to climb back down http://t.co/FUGScZZASh pic.twitter.com/3PXsNOyuzE
— New York Post Metro (@nypmetro) June 13, 2015
Thankfully the park’s staff were prepared for the possibility and were able to evacuate the Coney Island Cyclone, and there was no roller coaster accident.
Would you chance the ride, or would you be put off by the possibility of getting stuck at the top?
[Image via Mario Tama / Getty Images]
