Nearly two dozen thrill-seekers were stuck for more than two hours on a broken-down amusement park ride in California — a horrifying situation that left some convinced they “were gonna die.”
The Sol Spin at Knott’s Berry Farm in Buena Park had just started on Monday when it suddenly stopped, leaving 22 riders stuck on the attraction that flips people in different directions up to six stories in the air, according to ABC 7.
“It spun two times around and then when we hit the top, it stopped. Then it shut down and we got stuck up there and we started panicking,” said Yandel Espinoza, 14, who got stuck on the ride with his brother and cousin.
“We felt like we were gonna die.”
None of the trapped riders appeared to be stuck upside down. However, Espinoza’s 13-year-old cousin, Jaedyn Cannon, said: “We were in a weird position. We were like, sideways.”
Park mechanics were eventually able to rescue all 22 riders after about two-and-a-half hours, with some limping and others taken away in wheelchairs.
No one was seriously injured, but two female riders were taken to a hospital for examination “out of an abundance of caution,” a Knott’s Berry Farm spokesperson said. Their condition was not immediately known.
It was not immediately clear what caused the ride to come to a screeching halt. The park only said that “the Sol Spin ride experienced technical difficulties causing the ride to stop mid cycle.”
The Sol Spin ride is a high-speed spinning ride that rotates in three directions at once, taking riders up six stories into the air, according to the park.
The attraction is located in the Fiesta Village area of Knott’s Berry Farm.
