Eight riders were safely rescued after the Iron Shark roller coaster at Galveston's Pleasure Pier in Texas stopped mid-ascent above a 90-degree drop, leaving them stranded for more than three hours. Emergency crews rushed to the aid of theme park visitors on Thursday after a carriage full of roller coaster passengers became stranded above a terrifying vertical drop.
Rescue Operation Details
Dramatic images from Pleasure Pier's Iron Shark roller coaster showed rescue workers climbing a ladder to reach the stricken carriage. Eight passengers were left trapped on the ride, many of whom appeared to be youngsters or young adults, including one who looked considerably younger than the rest. The ride had reportedly been at a standstill since around 5:30 p.m. local time, leaving those on board stranded for over three hours. As darkness fell at around 8:30 p.m., rescuers were forced to use head torches to bring the remaining passengers to safety.
Passenger Background and Ride Specifications
KHOU 11 reported that those trapped on the roller coaster were STEM students from Houston enjoying a senior trip. The Iron Shark is the tallest ride on the pier, boasting a towering 100-foot vertical lift hill. When running normally, the Iron Shark hits speeds of 52 mph. According to the Pleasure Pier website, riders must be at least 42 inches tall to board.
Rescue Procedure
Live footage from the scene captured fire service officials carefully making their way up the track to reach the stranded riders, securing them one at a time with a harness. Officials were seen removing lap bars and shoulder guards before carefully lowering passengers onto the ladder, who then descended to safety rung by rung. By 9:10 p.m. local time, all eight passengers had been brought down safely.
Official Statements
Terry Turney, COO of Pleasure Pier, issued a statement confirming that the ride halting at the top of the track was a deliberate safety measure triggered by a malfunction. "The ride experienced a malfunction at its initial ascent. However, as designed, it immediately stopped to keep everyone safe," Turney said. "Our focus immediately shifted to the safety of our guests. Therefore, we contacted the Fire Department to assist, ensuring all guests were safely removed from the ride. A thorough inspection of the ride will take place before it is placed back in service."
Ride Description
The Pleasure Pier website describes the coaster as featuring a "beyond-vertical drop." "The Iron Shark will attack when least expected with its 100-foot vertical lift and beyond-vertical drop," the website reads. "Tracking at 52 miles per hour, the vehicles will glide the 1,246-foot coaster track which includes a diving loop, a greater than vertical drop and four full inversions." Galveston Fire Chief Mike Varela Jr., who was present at the scene, confirmed that the rescued students were being assessed by medical personnel, though none had required hospitalisation.
