Six Flags SkyScreamer gets stuck in the cold
JACKSON — Riders on the SkyScreamer got stuck more than 200 feet off the ground at a frosty Six Flags Great Adventure on Sunday night.
The SkyScreamer ride — which lifts riders sitting in swing chairs attached to a circular gondola 242 feet, or 24 stories, into the air before plummeting toward the ground at 40 mph — was "full" when it stopped at the top of the ride.
Story continues after the video
A witness to the incident who submitted video of it said the mostly-full ride was stuck in the air for around 15 minutes while a ride operator used the loudspeaker many times to tell passengers that their safety was not in jeopardy.
The ride was slowly lowered and arrived on the ground at 7:36 p.m. Riders could be heard screaming "get me out of here" and "I can’t feel my feet" as they got off, some running.
The temperature near Six Flags at the nearby weather station in Cream Ridge was 32 degrees but may have been a bit colder for the riders, according to Townsquare New Jersey Chief Meteorologist Dan Zarrow.
"Even though winds were light at the surface (3 mph), there certainly could have been a stronger breeze at the top of the wind. Even with a wind speed of just 10 mph, the wind chill would have dropped to 24 degrees," Zarrow said.
Six Flags Great Adventure spokeswoman Kristin Fitzgerald said one of the ride’s many safety sensors detected an error and engaged the ride’s emergency stop. The ride was stopped for 9 minutes and no one was injured.
"Our team returned the ride to its home position and guests safely exited the ride on the ground. The safety of our guests is our top priority and the ride was closed for a thorough inspection before re-opening," Fitzgerald said in an email.
The park was open to the public on Sunday night, a week before its "Holiday in the Park" display opens for the season.
SkyScreamer got stuck last June causing it to stop at a mid-point location.
SkyScreamer is located in Six Flags' Adventure Alley, with its thrill level rating at "max." The ride opened in 2012.
Contact reporter Dan Alexander at Dan.Alexander@townsquaremedia.com or via Twitter @DanAlexanderNJ.
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