A carnival turned into a nightmare after people got trapped in the air when their ride malfunctioned in the US.
Thrillseekers got more than they asked for when a ride broke down at a fair in Montgomery County, Tennessee.
Punters were out enjoying the weeklong Irish Day celebrations when they were left dangling 65ft in the air just before 9pm on Thursday.
It took rescuers almost four hours to reach the people on the Star Tower at Casey’s Rides.
Fortunately, the ride didn’t involve any upside down sections, but visitors faced a long wait hanging in the swings.
The fire department was unable to reach one worker and 19 people with its usual 65ft ladder, Mirror reports.
They had to call in for a special 100ft truck, which was stationed as close to the ride as possible.
Each passenger was brought back to the ground in a bucket one by one, with everyone escaping the ordeal unscathed.
All funfair goers were back in safety by 12.20am and Casey’s Rides was able to reopen on the weekend.
Casey’s Rides said the equipment was ‘thoroughly inspected prior to operation per the manufacturer’s specifications.’
‘The manufacturer is sending a technician to assess the Star Tower and determine the cause of the malfunction,’ it said, adding that this is the ‘first issue ever reported’ after Casey’s has operated ‘amusement park rides at the Erin Irish Day carnival for many years.’
‘We sincerely thank the first responders for their swift response and appreciate the community’s patience and understanding,’ the company added.
In September, fair goers got stuck upside down in Ocotlan, Mexico, when a super loop ride suffered a glitch.
Although most funfair rides tend to go without a hitch, rides have gone sour in the UK before.
Last year, 25 people had to be rescued on the Skegness Pleasure Beach fairground after the Super Trooper ride got suspended in the air.
It is not known what is officially the longest time people have been stuck when rides have broken down.
But in 2017, 30 riders were trapped around 70ft in the air for five hours at the historic Hull Fair. They were given blankets to stay warm.
Two people suffered critical injuries after a funfair ride collapsed at the Lambeth Country Show in south London last summer.
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