An 8-year-old girl was among three riders left stranded about 50 feet in the air after a roller coaster suddenly stopped at a Pennsylvania amusement park.
The frightening incident happened Monday on the Wild Mouse ride at Idlewild & SoakZone in Ligonier.
The young girl was riding with her cousin, Monica Johnson, when the coaster came to an unexpected halt high above the ground.
Johnson admitted she was terrified as they waited for help, but said her little cousin remained remarkably calm.
“I was panicking,” Johnson told CBS News Pittsburgh. “I just have anxiety, so I was panicking. But my little cousin, she’s eight years old, she did amazing.”
Firefighters from the Darlington Volunteer Fire Company rushed to the park and began the delicate process of bringing all three riders back to safety.
The rescue took about 45 minutes.
Fire Chief Kurt Rose said the operation went “almost textbook,” crediting the department’s extensive training with amusement park employees.
All three riders, including the 8-year-old girl, were safely evacuated, according to Idlewild’s parent company, Herschend Family Entertainment.
No injuries were reported.
Johnson said the fear finally gave way to relief as rescuers brought them close to the ground.
“When we got down, and we were almost there, I was like, we made it,” she told WTAE.
Officials have not revealed what caused the Wild Mouse to stop.
The roller coaster will remain closed while inspectors investigate the malfunction, but the rest of Idlewild & SoakZone remains open to guests.
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