Riders were stranded on the Iron Shark roller coaster at the Galveston Amusement Pier Thursday night.
GALVESTON, Texas — Rescues are underway after passengers were trapped on a roller coaster for hours at the Galveston, Texas, amusement pier.
Watch live Section 11 Cameras show the Iron Shark roller coaster getting stuck near the top of the ride. A ladder reaches up to the top to assist riders.
According to pier personnel, eight Houston STEM students were on the roller coaster when it became trapped. Some other students said they were on a senior trip.
It’s unclear exactly what happened to cause the ride to stop, but it was reported that the ride stopped around 5:30 p.m. As of 7:40 p.m., the ride was still stuck.
According to the Pleasure Pier website, the ride includes a 100-foot vertical lift and a super-vertical descent. It can reach speeds of 52 mph, and riders must be 42 inches tall to get on board.
The Galveston Fire Department responded to the scene and helped rescue the passengers. The process involves everyone being strapped into a harness and then being lowered one by one.
Pleasure Pier Chief Operating Officer Terry Turney said the ride was down due to a malfunction.
“The ride experienced a malfunction on its initial ascent, but as designed, it stopped immediately to ensure everyone’s safety,” Turney said in an emailed statement. “Our focus immediately shifted to the safety of our passengers. As a result, we contacted the fire department to provide assistance and ensure all passengers were safely off the ride. We will conduct a thorough inspection of the ride before it is returned to service.”
The pleasure pier has been evacuated due to the rescue operation.
This is a developing story and updates will be added to this article as they become available.
