Dozens are rescued from stalled sky ride at Southwick's Zoo in Mendon

Norman Miller, The Milford Daily News
·3 min read
Southwick's Zoo and fire crews work to rescue people trapped on a sky ride at the Mendon zoo Friday.
Southwick's Zoo and fire crews work to rescue people trapped on a sky ride at the Mendon zoo Friday.

MENDON — Emergency workers and Southwick's Zoo employees rescued dozens of people Friday afternoon after they were trapped on a ride that became stuck.

Mendon Fire Chief Bill Kessler said no one was injured in the incident involving the Skyfari Sky Ride, which takes visitors for a ski-lift like ride throughout the 40-acre zoo.

"There were some children a little upset, but I think all in all, the people in the chairs were pretty relaxed," Kessler said during a media briefing afterward at the southeastern Worcester County zoo.

Each individual car on the Skyfari Sky Ride can seat up to two adults; two adults with one small child; or two children with an adult.

A crewmember works to rescue a woman and a child from a sky ride that broke down Friday at Southwick's Zoo in Mendon.
A crewmember works to rescue a woman and a child from a sky ride that broke down Friday at Southwick's Zoo in Mendon.

"See the zoo from above on our Skyfari Sky Ride," according to the zoo's website. "You’ll get a bird’s eye view of the African Plains, Deer Forest, chimpanzees, alligator, and more!"

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Kessler said authorities received a 911 call about the people stuck at 2:42 p.m. Upon arrival, first responders found 19 people — 12 adults and seven children — stuck on eight cars on the sky ride. Cars varied from being 20 to 35 feet in the air, the chief said.

"It was a hot day," said Kessler. "I'm not sure how long Southwick's tried to get the ride fixed before calling."

Initial reports were there were at least 40 people trapped on the ride and Kessler said it was possible that zoo employees, using zoo equipment, rescued several people prior to the Fire Department arriving.

When firefighters arrived, they halted the zoo's efforts out of a sense of safety and called in backup from the District 7 Fire Technical Rescue Team, as well as the Uxbridge and Bellingham Fire Departments, which provided aerial trucks.

Kessler said everyone was down and safe by 4:40 p.m.

He said the topography of the zoo made it a little more challenging as the sky ride goes over and through the trees and over several animal enclosures. Zoo workers were not able to clear every enclosure of animals before rescue work began.

Betsey Brewer, executive director of the Southwick's Zoo, said the problem was caused by an oil leak.

"We had a small oil leak at the Skyfari Sky Ride and decided it would be best to shut it down to err on the side of caution," she said. "There were 40 people that needed to be evacuated and it all went very smoothly."

Brewer said the ride covers about one-third of the zoo, allowing riders to view more than 60 acres of animal habitats.

"We used cherrypicker lifts to evacuate the visitors from the Skyfari," she said. "All of our Skyfari employees are well trained in evacuation procedures."

Kessler said the rescue went about as smoothly as it could have.

"The tech rescue team — we had a great team here," he said. "That's what they train for."

Norman Miller can be reached at 508-626-3823 or nmiller@wickedlocal.com. For up-to-date public safety news, follow Norman Miller on Twitter @Norman_MillerMW or on Facebook at facebook.com/NormanMillerCrime.

This article originally appeared on The Milford Daily News: Riders become stuck on ride at Southwick's Zoo, rescue underway