By David Luces
Staten Island Advance
CRANDON, Wis. — A mechanical failure on a carnival ride in Wisconsin left several riders stranded upside down for a number of hours, according to multiple media reports.
Authorities on Sunday, July 2, responded to the Crandon International Offroad Raceway to a report of eight passengers who were stuck on a carnival ride, according to the news outlet WAOW.
The incident occurred on the ride “The Fireball” — a looping ride that sends riders upside down.
Officials told WAOW that passengers were stuck inside cars near the top of the loop. Describing it as being held an “inverted position by safety harnesses on cars.”
Specialized technical rescue teams and mutual aid equipment were needed to remove riders from the ride due to the height of the ride, according to a press release from the Crandon Fire Department.
Riders had to wait for a ladder truck with a 100-foot platform to come from 45 minutes away.
All occupants were removed from the ride within four hours, according to the press release.
A total of nine people were treated by EMS, and one person was transported by ambulance to a local hospital.
“It required critical thinking and planning, and the safest possible rescue of those involved was our top priority,” Brennan Cook, a captain at the fire department, told the news outlet.
“Crandon Fire Chief Darrell Wilson Sr. and Crandon EMS Service Director Melinda Chaney would like to express their gratitude to all who assisted in this highly stressful and unique technical rescue situation,” the Crandon Fire Department and Crandon Area Rescue Squad said in a joint statement.
https://www.facebook.com/708530367/videos/1329490910935347/
(c)2023 Staten Island Advance, N.Y.
Visit Staten Island Advance, N.Y. at www.silive.com
Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.