Riders Stranded on Invertigo at CGA

[valleyfair!]

Dozens of people stranded on a roller coaster more than 40 feet above the ground at a Santa Clara amusement park will be freed within the next couple hours, a fire official said.

Rescue workers responded to the call of 28 people stuck on the Invertigo ride at California’s Great America about 1:45 p.m., said Santa Clara Deputy Fire Chief Augie Wiedemann.

Wiedemann said the riders are sitting upright in the shade while stuck at a 45-degree angle.

Fire trucks with ladders and baskets were brought in to release each person, some of whose legs are dangling as high as 80 feet above the ground.

“Everyone’s very calm, we’re able to have good access to all the people,” Wiedemann said. “Once we take the people’s restraint off that’s built into the ride, we’ll lower them into the basket and bring them down to the ground. It’s going to be a long, methodical process because we’ll have to take each one individually, one at a time.” No injuries have been reported, and about 40 fire department and emergency medical service personnel are on the scene.

According to California’s Great America website, Invertigo is classified as a “thrill ride” that takes riders “through loops and boomerangs.”

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2 ... aster.html

 

[LiveForTheLaunch]

Haha well I would rather be stuck only fourty feet above the ground than something retarded like 300 feet on Millennium's lift or something .

Sucks to be them though, hopefully they get free passes into the park for their wasted time .

 

[RCF]

I think it'd be pretty cool. But it does kind of suck. I also agree with Taylor.

 

[Anonymous]

This sounds pretty similar to what happened to Hang Over at Liseberg many years ago...

 

[Emmett]

A link to a video from a local news station has been posted on TPR.

http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?sectio ... id=6957962

 

[Emmett]

Update

http://www.mercurynews.com/breaking-news/ci_13258377

State investigators, and personnel from Great America, are dismantling the Invertigo roller coaster as part of the effort to determine what caused a malfunction that left 24 riders stranded in mid-air for more than four hours last month.

Erika Monterroza, a spokeswoman for the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health, said today she did not know exactly when the dismantling began. No information will be released until the investigation is concluded, she said.

Preliminary reports indicate that on Aug. 10, the lift chain that pulls riders up the tracks on the roller coaster's 138-foot lift malfunctioned. Urban search and rescue crews from San Jose, Santa Clara and Santa Clara County fire departments conducted a four-hour rescue operation to release 24 riders from their protective harnesses and return them safely to the ground.

Cal-OSHA's elevator, ride and tramway unit is dismantling the ride as part of its follow-up investigation, according to Monterroza. Investigators may send specific parts away for analysis, she said.

The investigation also involves interviewing riders and staff and examining maintenance records for the ride, she said. It's not yet clear when the investigation will be complete.

 

[Ben]

They should just rip it down because it really, really, really sucks!

(however, thank God this happened the day AFTER I got the credit!)

 

[LiveForTheLaunch]

It's being dismantled just because a lift hill got stuck? Whack.. I actually liked the Invertigo I rode, so I fail to see how this one could be soo much worse.

 

[marc]

Will they rebuild it after?

 

[CMonster]

If that were me, it would be cool for the first 30 minutes, but then I would get sooooooo bored, especially if I got unloaded last. So, I would probably demand someone to send me a drink and fries while I waited. All free, of course! :--D

 

[LiveForTheLaunch]

^^ Wait, there's a chance they're gonna rebuild it? So what is the point of dismantling it in the first place, just because it got stuck? That's dumb, but if it's popular I'd expect they'd rebuild it, and if not, well, that's a spot for future expansion I guess..

 

[Gladiator]

It is a bit stupid if they're going to take it down and put it up again
Surely that will take time?
It's not like lego....

 

[Tomatron]

Somehow I don't think thy're taking the WHOLE ride down. The article says that specific parts need to be analysed. They'll probably just take the lift chain and a couple of other bits off and send them for inspection.

 

[Jake]

The one at Six Flags America closed for good, was SBNO for a couple of years and eventually got removed after a similar incident, although that was slightly more serious (hydrolic fluid was sprayed over the riders).

So, I wouldn't be too shocked if this didn't reopen (due to the bad publicity, the incident itsself and the fact that these rides are known for generally being unreliable, uncomfortable and not to mention the bad capacity), or too bothered, becuase I got my credit the day before this happened .

 

[Ben]

I want it to close forever! Getting the credit on the last day of full operation would be too fab to pass up!

 

[marc]

^would go with your other record, last public ride on the Corkscrew

 

[LiveForTheLaunch]

! Getting the credit on the last day of full operation would be too fab to pass up!

That's like, almost what happened to a few of us on Son of Beast.. It closed very shortly after I got the credit, I dunno how many days later. Two maybe? So I'm glad I got it before it actually closed down.