Guests at Knott’s Berry Farm theme park in California got a little more than they bargained for yesterday when emergency services had to be called out to rescue 21 people from an attraction.
The Sky Cabin ride broke down at around 2pm local time, leaving 20 guests and one ride operator trapped at around 100 feet in the air. Some guests were stuck for over seven hours as park officials attempted to get the attraction going again.
The attraction itself is a slow-moving observation tower which ascends to over 180 feet, offering a 360 degree view of Knott’s Berry Farm and the surrounding Orange County.
After several attempts to restart the ride, the park called in the emergency services, who also attempted to restart the ride. Eventually the stranded passengers had to be abseiled down one by one by the emergency services.
The theme park had this to say:
Each of Knott’s rides is inspected, check-listed and properly maintained daily. Sky Cabin will remain closed until the park’s investigation into the cause of the incident is completed.
Knott’s Berry Farm’s number one priority is the safety of all its guests and employees.
Knott’s Berry Farm was the 12th most attended theme park in North America last year, just behind SeaWorld Orlando and Busch Gardens in Tampa.