Terrifying images from Ohio's Cedar Point theme park show the moment a group of customers had to make their own way down from a 200ft roller coaster after it got stuck.
If the group of people riding the Magnum XL 200 roller coaster on Monday (31 July) weren't afraid of heights before going on the ride, chances are they are now...
The customers in Ohio had no choice but to be brave after the ride got stuck on one of its inclines, which help carry customers up to the lofty heights at the top of the coaster.
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Built in 1989, the Magnum XL 200 was once the fastest and steepest complete-circuit coaster in the world. It made
history by becoming the first hyper-coaster and first ever coaster to top 200 feet.
Needless to say, then, it's a pretty tall ride. Great for thrill-seekers, not so great when a mechanical issue causes the whole thing to stop - which is exactly what happened on Monday.
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Tony Clark, director of communications for Cedar Point, told Fox News Digital the interruption was caused by a 'standard ride stoppage', and described it as a 'check engine light' situation, which meant the ride couldn't immediately be restarted.
As a result, riders were forced to evacuate the carriage and make their way back down to Earth via the stairs - which, again, crept up to a staggering 205 feet.
Images of the sweat-inducing moment were caught by witness Josh Lett, and have since been shared online showing the riders making their way down the steep staircase, while the carriage remained stuck behind them.
Lett told Fox he's never seen anything similar happen before.
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Usually customers who embark on the ride are able to enjoy it at speeds of up to 72mph for a total of two minutes and 45 seconds, during which time they travel over hills and through tunnels, flying over Cedar Point Shores to the beach before completing the ride's signature 'pretzel turnaround', the park's website explains.
"You’ll be blown away by some unbelievable views of the Lake Erie shoreline before returning back to the Cedar Point skyline. And if it’s a clear day, you might be able to see the coast of Canada on the horizon. Make no mistake, this isn’t just a roller coaster ride, it’s a roller coaster spectacle."
It's unclear how much of the ride the customers on Monday had been able to enjoy before it broke down, but hopefully they'll have the chance to experience it in full in the future - if they're not too scarred by the last experience, that is.
Topics: US News
Emily Brown