Nine people who were stranded in a 37 metres high Merry-Go-Round at the Plopsaland amusement park in De Panne, in Belgium have been freed, AFP reports.
All the stranded fun seekers were freed without being injured.
The nine visitors to the Plopsaland amusement park were stranded for up to six hours at 37 meters high, as reported by La Voix du Nord.
According to the AFP, the incident occurred on Saturday evening around 5:30 p.m., shortly before closing, usually scheduled for 6 p.m. Nine people were seated in four wagons of the sensational attraction “The Ride to Happiness”. But some time after the start, the carousel suddenly got stuck at 37 meters in height.
Firefighters were quickly called to rescue those who remained at the top of the attraction. However, with their large ladder only rising to a maximum of 30 meters, it was impossible for them to reach the trapped people.
A crane from a company had to be brought inside the Plopsaland amusement park to fix it. A container has been fixed there to serve as a basket to accommodate the stranded people. The strong gusts of wind affecting the area at the time made the rescue operation more complex, with the attached basket moving significantly.
Visitors Stranded At The Plopsaland amusement Park Are Safe And Sound
After several hours on site, the last people were finally able to be lowered to the ground using a harness, around 11:30 p.m., six hours after the carousel was blocked.
“They weren’t hurt but were very cold,” Kristoph Louagie, spokesman for the Belgian firefighters, told La Voix du Nord .
According to report from the regional daily, all the visitors affected by this misadventure were then followed by a psychological unit and were taken to the hospital in order to take check-ups.
The ride “The ride to Happiness” had opened last July in Plopsaland. The attraction is presented on the park’s website as “the most spectacular roller coaster in Europe” with a top speed of 90 km/ h and “an exceptional view of Plopsaland De Panne”.