Eight students experienced an unexpected adventure when they found themselves stuck for hours nearly 100 feet above the ground on a roller coaster after it halted at the peak of the first ascent.
First responders arrived to assist the students from the Iron Shark roller coaster at Pleasure Pier in Galveston, Texas, following an emergency call made at 5:37 p.m. on Thursday, about 15 minutes after the ride stopped.
The students were part of a trip organized by the Houston Independent School District (HISD) for Energized for STEM Academy Middle School and STEM Academy High School.
“We are thankful that everyone—students, staff, and chaperones—are safe. School officials are directly communicating with the families of those who attended the trip,” HISD noted in a statement to ABC7.
Galveston Fire Chief Mike Barrera mentioned that it took about four hours to get the last student off the ride.
“Of course they were upset because they had climbed that ladder in the blazing sun just to come back down,” Varela shared with reporters. “They were checked for dehydration, but thankfully, everyone looks to be okay.”
“I could see that they were upset, and also relieved when their feet finally touched the ground,” he said.
According to ABC7, Landry’s, the operator of Pleasure Pier, confirmed that while the ride had encountered a problem, the roller coaster was designed to function even under such conditions. A part of their statement read:
“We immediately focused on guest safety, which is why we called in the fire department to help safely evacuate all guests from the ride. The attraction will undergo a thorough inspection before it opens again.”
The roller coaster at Galveston Pier includes a 100-foot vertical lift hill.
Pleasure Pier indicates that the Iron Shark roller coaster can reach speeds of 82 miles per hour and runs along a 1,246-foot track.
