Ferris wheels aren’t what one would usually consider a “thrill ride,” but this one proved everyone wrong.
At around 6:20 pm on Saturday evening, the Ferris wheel ride at ICON Park in Orlando, Florida suddenly lost power. There were 62 frightened and stranded people inside 20 of the pods of the 400-foot ride at the time of the incident. It was not made clear what caused the malfunction.
It was the same theme park where a 14-year-old boy fell off another ride, the FreeFall, and died in March 2022.
According to Orange County Fire and Rescue, they responded to the scene after receiving a call regarding a power failure. More than 80 firefighters were deployed to assist the victims of the incident. Public Information Officer Ashley Gipson said that the rescue took three hours since firefighters had to manually turn the wheel to rescue each person. They updated everyone that no one was injured.
Sparks were seen coming from one part of the ride, which was shown in videos captured by park visitors. Robin Baker, one of the riders, confirmed he saw fire, sparks, and smoke somewhere at the lower part of the ride.
The ICON Park Ferris wheel has been open since 2015. It took three years to construct. According to a park spokesperson, the ride will be closed for inspection and maintenance. An announcement will be posted on the park’s website and social media accounts when it is back in operation.