NEED TO KNOW
- After a ride at Six Flags America in Bowie, Md. suddenly stopped, 32 passengers were rescued after being stuck for more than an hour
- “Although a guest called 911 from the ride, no outside assistance was needed for the unloading process. This was handled by our team,” a spokesperson for Six Flags America clarified about the incident
- The spokesperson explained that emergency sensors on rides are comparable to a “check engine” light on a car
Thirty-two people were rescued after being stuck on a ride at Six Flags America in Bowie, Md. on Saturday, Aug. 16.
Due to a malfunction, park goers were left stranded for over an hour, according to Fox News and local outlet WUSA9.
The Prince George’s County Fire and EMS (PGFD) confirmed in a post on X that they arrived at the scene around 3:25 p.m. to help park staff get people to safety.
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“PGFD Technical Rescue units on scene at @sixflagsamerica working w/park staff to evacuate approx 32 riders stuck on a ride,” the post read, adding that a person was “transported with serious but not-threatening injuries” to the hospital.
However, in an update, the department clarified that the person hospitalized “was a medical call unrelated to the rescue.”
In a statement to PEOPLE, a spokesperson from Six Flags America said that “one of our rides did not complete its typical cycle and paused before returning to the ground.”
“Safety is a key priority and our team worked diligently to unload all passengers from the ride. No guests were injured,” the statement read. “The ride will remain closed for a thorough review to determine what caused it to stop.”
The park also made a statement regarding the PGFD’s assistance on Saturday.
“Although a guest called 911 from the ride, no outside assistance was needed for the unloading process. This was handled by our team,” the spokesperson said. “Safety is a cornerstone of our business and our teams are trained for these types of situations.”
They added, “Additionally, there were no injuries from this ride stop. While PG County Fire did evaluate guests during Saturday’s hot weather, the guest mentioned in their post was not on the ride and the situation was not ride related.”
A spokesperson from the park also told Fox News that trigger alerts caused by sensors can result in the ride stopping, similar to the “check engine” light for cars.
“Sometimes, the ride requires a more lengthy review by trained experts. In those cases, we unload riders — as we did yesterday,” they told the outlet.
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