20 riders rescued after amusement ride malfunction at St. John the Beloved Carnival
An amusement ride malfunctioned at St. John the Beloved Church's annual carnival Tuesday night, leaving 20 people trapped on the Zipper ride for hours, according to Delaware fire officials.
First responders were notified of the incident at the church just before 9:30 p.m. Tuesday when someone who was at the carnival radioed in about the accident in Milltown. Staff from the Mill Creek Fire Company, as well as New Castle County police, were already present at the festival.
“One of the area rides broke; there’s two cars stuck together about 30 feet off the ground,” the man radioed.
The call initiated a high-angle rescue for the ride, which reaches 60 feet in height, according to Mill Creek Fire Company.
One of the cages appeared to break off its hinge, falling down past three other ride cages into the center of the ride and leaving those in the cages trapped.
The fire company did not detail the mechanism of what occurred on the ride, other than to call it a malfunction.
The ride was immediately shut down and first responders rushed to the scene with various ways to try and reach the riders, including a large, extendable fire truck ladder, which some children were walked down to safety.
The fire company said all riders were removed from the ride safely using "aerial platforms from the Christiana and Brandywine Hundred Fire Companies and Mill Creek Fire Company’s ladder truck."
Two people were taken to Christiana Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, according to the Delaware State Fire Marshal.
By about 10 p.m., more than a dozen fire and EMS units from several different agencies were on the scene, according to first responder radio communications. At least four ambulances were also called to the scene for precautionary measures.
They remained there until after midnight, according to the fire company. The Delaware State Fire Marshal’s Office is investigating what caused the malfunction.
The ride has been taken out of service, according to the fire marshal's office, and will be removed from the carnival site "once the on-scene analysis is completed," officials said.
The ride is owned by Lynam's Amusements out of Williamstown, New Jersey, which claims the ride to be the "absolute ultimate in intensity."
"If you like extreme thrill you must ride the zipper, you won't find an experience like it anywhere else," according to Lynam's Amusements' website.
An employee of the New Jersey company, who only went by Earl, said one of the ride's cables came loose and jammed up. "It just loosened up," he said. "That's all."
The malfunction remains under investigation by the State Fire Marshal's Office.
The carnival, held at the church at 905 Milltown Road, opened Monday and was slated to run through Saturday, June 10. Tuesday was designated as "Family Night." Operations were expected to resume Wednesday evening.
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This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: St. John the Beloved Carnival ride malfunctions, trapping people
