Rage rollercoaster rescue at Southend’s Adventure Island after passengers left hanging at 72ft

Thrill seekers on a 72-foot-high rollercoaster were left hanging vertically when the ride broke down in Essex.

Horrified onlookers watched as rescuers scrambled to rescue eight terrified people stuck “at the top” of the Adventure Island in Southend, attraction just before 2pm Friday.

Eye witnesses said the riders were left hanging on the tracks, stuck at a 90-degree angle facing skywards, for “at least half an hour”.

Rage is advertised as Adventure Island's "biggest and best" rollercoaster - with "loops, twists, and flat-out speeds".

A rescue operation was launched and those aboard were evacuated and returned to the ground within 40 minutes, according to the park.

A mum of one, who was visiting the park with her six year old daughter, said: “They had to be harnessed and rescued down.

“It got stuck, it’s the big one there that goes through the loop - it goes up, God knows high, and then straight back down and then loops.

“It literally just got stuck, right at the top."

The woman, who asked not to be named, added: "The carriages are still stuck at the top at the moment, but the people are out, they harnessed them out one at a time.

"They were up there for at least half an hour, 45 minutes probably.

"It was all quite calm to be fair, the park seemed to handle it really, really well.

"They were reassuring them, there was no screaming or mass hysteria, though obviously there was a large crowd of people around and lots of people there.

"I've never been on the ride, I'm not about to now either."

Marc Miller, managing director of the Stockvale Group - which runs Adventure Island, told Sky News: "Just after 2pm today, a carriage on Rage stopped on the lift.

"Our highly trained team immediately initiated our ride evacuation plan, which has been certified by the Health and Safety Executives and Essex Fire and Rescue.

"All passengers were returned to the ground, safe and sound and reunited with their families within 40 minutes."

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