Georgia roller coaster stalls mid-ride after ‘safety feature’ activates

A roller coaster at an amusement park in Georgia stalled mid-ride, leaving riders stuck for a brief period of time.

The incident happened at Wild Adventures amusement park’s Boomerang roller coaster when it became stuck, according to WALB, who reported that the ride went forward and then moved back before stopping.

Wild Adventures, located in Valdosta, Georgia, said in a statement to the news outlet that the ride stopped due to a safety feature and all passengers were safely returned to the loading station.

“On Monday evening, Wild Adventures’ Boomerang roller coaster encountered a brief ride stoppage triggered by a safety feature activation. Within approximately 10 minutes, our team safely returned all riders to the loading station. Following a comprehensive inspection, the ride was cleared and resumed operation that same night,” the spokesperson said.

“You’ll start with a pull up a steep incline, backwards, out of the station. Once at the top of the incline, the train is released and it falls down the incline and through the station into a Cobra Roll (“Boomerang”) element. A vertical loop follows this, and the train starts up another hill. Once the train is all the way forward, you’re pulled up the remainder of the second incline, released and propelled backwards to repeat the thrilling inverts and twists in reverse!” the amusement park’s website states, describing the Boomerang.

Kennedi Johnson, who was on the ride, said that there were people on the Boomerang crying when the ride stalled.

“It got stuck and we were crying, and people were telling us that we could come down, but we didn’t come down and we were so scared,” Johnson said, according to the report.

Another rider, Rishon Phillips, told WALB that he had a panic attack when the ride stopped.

“I was hearing noises, and I thought it was gonna go down, but when my cousin told me it was stuck, I had a panic attack,” Phillips said.

The spokesperson for the amusement park added that the ride is inspected regularly.

“Wild Adventures Theme Park’s ride inspection practices meet ASTM F24 standards and follow manufacturer inspection requirements,” the spokesperson said. “This practice includes daily inspections of ride components before the park opens. Wild Adventures conducts additional supplementary inspections based on each ride’s manufacturer requirements and internal operational standards.”