Girl, 8, Stuck 50 Feet High After Rollercoaster Ride Failure

Three people were rescued after a rollercoaster suddenly stopped about 50 feet in the air at a Pennsylvania amusement park. The incident happened on Monday at the Wild Mouse ride at Idlewild & SoakZone in Ligonier, Pennsylvania. Monica Johnson, one of the stranded riders, described how she and her eight-year-old cousin were stuck together on the ride. “I was panicking,” Johnson told CBS News Pittsburgh. “I just have anxiety, so I was panicking. But my little cousin, she’s eight years old, she did amazing.” Firefighters from the Darlington Volunteer Fire Company carried out the rescue, which took about 45 minutes. Fire Chief Kurt Rose said the operation was “almost textbook” thanks to extensive training with park staff. No injuries were reported. After reaching the ground, Johnson said she felt an overwhelming sense of relief. “When we got down, and we were almost there, I was like, we made it,” she told WTAE. Idlewild’s parent company, Herschend Family Entertainment, said all three riders were safely evacuated. No details have been released about what caused the ride to stop. The Wild Mouse rollercoaster will remain closed while inspectors investigate the malfunction. The rest of the park remains open to guests.

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