A fun day at an annual fair in Wisconsin transformed into a worst nightmare after a mechanical failure left riders stuck upside down for hours.
Based on the statement from the Crandon Fire Department, firefighters were dispatched to the Crandon International Offroad Raceway after eight passengers were stranded on a ride called “The Fireball.”
The ride has a path that goes in a loop and riders are intended to go upside down at certain times but the unexpected failure caused people stay upside down much longer than planned.
After firefighters gathered around the carnival park, they spotted “passengers trapped inside cars near the top of the loop with the riders being held an inverted position by safety harnesses on cars.”
The ride operator informed the firefighters that the roller coaster had been inspected on-site by the State of Wisconsin. The operator also pointed out a mechanical failure which the staff tried to fix to get people down to a lower position so they can exit the ride. Due to the height of the ride, a specialized technical rescue teams and mutual aid equipment were used to get the riders out of their trapped positions.
Passengers had to calm their nerves and wait for a ladder truck with a 100-foot platform. It took about 45-minutes to get this equipment transported over to the carnival.
Brennan Cook, a captain and training offer at the fire department, said this emergency call was rare as he hasn’t had to deal with something similar in his 17 years working in emergency services.
“It required critical thinking and planning, and the safest possible rescue of those involved was our top priority,” Cook shared.
All riders made it down after four hours of sitting still in an uncomfortable position. There were nine people in need of emergency medical services and one person was taken by ambulance to a local hospital.
“Crandon Fire Chief Darrell Wilson Sr. and Crandon EMS Service Director Melinda Chaney would like to express their gratitude to all who assisted in this highly stressful and unique technical rescue situation,” the Crandon Fire Department and Crandon Area Rescue Squad said.