Roller coaster derails in Daytona Beach
Two people plummeted 34 feet after falling off the ride.
Six people were injured after a ride malfunction caused roller coaster cars to derail, ejecting two passengers and stranding eight other riders at the Boardwalk in Daytona Beach, Fla., officials said.
The incident happened around 8:30 p.m. local time, when the roller coaster went off the track, the Daytona Beach Fire Department said. Fire crews arrived on the scene and rescued eight riders who were stuck in the three derailed cars.
“The riders were very frightened and the firefighters were doing a great job of trying to make sure that everyone stayed calm so the rescue could go off successfully,” spokeswoman Sasha Stanton said.
POWER OUTAGE STRANDS RIDERS ON ROLLER COASTER AT OHIO THEME PARK
Two riders were ejected from the front car and fell 34 feet to the ground, fire officials said. Two more passengers dangling from that car were rescued by firefighters on the ground using ladders and tech equipment.
Fire officials said an additional four passengers were in the middle car and the rear car held two more. These passengers were rescued using a tower truck so firefighters could climb onto the track and safely guide the riders back to the ladder and to the firetruck.
Six of the 10 riders needing rescue were transported to a hospital. The extent of their injuries remained unknown, but two patients were put on trauma alert, Fox 35 reported.
The Daytona Beach area was experiencing rain and lightning on the coast, though officials couldn’t say if weather was a factor in the amusement ride’s derailment.
It was unclear when the ride was last inspected.
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