Riders Forced To Walk Down 208 Feet After Being Stranded on Roller Coaster

Let’s face it — theme park rides are complicated, and sometimes that means they don’t operate exactly as planned.

That’s precisely what happened recently at Six Flags New England, when Superman: The Ride malfunctioned on April 24th, and roller coaster riders were forced to evacuate from the attraction after the coaster stalled at its highest point.

Riders were guided down a steep staircase along the edge of the coaster’s structure by staff after the ride failed to make it all the way to the top of the tower. According to a video shared on Newsflare, the ride got stuck as it approached its highest point, and riders were then evacuated by staff.

According to Six Flags New England’s website, Superman: The Ride reaches speeds of 77 miles per hour and features 5,400 feet of track. The ride is 90 seconds long, and reaches a maximum elevation of 208 feet — which is where the attraction got stuck recently.

Here’s the official description of the ride from the Six Flags website:

“After plummeting straight down like a comet from Krypton, you’ll soar along on a wide-weaving trajectory of arching climbs and sweeping swoops, through broken barriers, a blur of obstacles, and dark, diving tunnels. Was that your voice that just broke, or the sound barrier??”

Ultimately, riders were guided off the roller coaster safely, and no injuries have been reported. The park is typically open on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays, so hopefully the ride will be functioning normally when Six Flags reopens on May 1st.

The park recently debuted a brand-new, record-breaking ride, the Quantum Accelerator. This “family-friendly thrill ride” is unlike traditional roller coasters — it’s a dual-launch straddle coaster that launches riders from 0 to 30 miles per hour.

Once riders are halfway through the ride, they’ll then be launched at an even faster 45 miles per hour for the remaining part of the coaster. It also promises more “twists and turns” and “11 moments of airtime.”

This isn’t the first recent roller coaster ride malfunction at a theme park we’ve seen lately. A group of riders was stranded on the DC Rivals Hypercoaster at Warner Bros. Movie World in Australia on April 8th. The coaster is the “tallest, longest and fastest HyperCoaster in the Southern Hemisphere.” It stands at a whopping 200 feet tall, with a maximum speed of 71 miles per hour.

Riders were trapped on the roller coaster’s steep incline right before the ride’s 89-degree drop in the middle of the day with temperatures around 86°F. According to witnesses, theme park employees had handed the riders black umbrellas to help shield them from the harsh sun. Ultimately, riders were safely evacuated from the coaster.

We’ll be on the lookout for even more theme park ride malfunctions you need to know about. In the meantime, make sure you stay tuned to AllEars for the latest Disney news and beyond!