Dozens trapped on 400-foot Ferris wheel after power goes out, Florida officials say
More than 60 people spent New Year’s Eve hundreds of feet in the air after a Ferris wheel broke down in Florida, Florida rescuers said.
Just after 7 p.m. on Dec. 31, Orange County Fire Rescue reported that there was a power failure at “The Wheel” at Icon Park in Orlando, according to a Tweet.
No injuries were reported, but video obtained by WFLA shows sparks and smoke coming out of the Ferris wheel.
Firefighters scaled the wheel and riders began getting off around 8 p.m., Spectrum News reported.
The wheel is 400 feet tall and offers views across Orlando, according to the park’s website.
“As we rotate it down, we’re having to manually open the door, so it takes about 10 to 15 minutes for each pod, for us to get it open and to get people out,” Division Chief Martis Mack told WESH. “We’ve trained hours and hours on this type of rescue, so we were ready for this.”
“All guests in The Wheel have safely disembarked after the attraction lost power on Saturday night,” ICON Park said in a statement, according to Spectrum News.
In March 2022, a 14-year-old boy died at ICON Park in the Free Fall ride after he plummeted more than 400 feet to the ground, McClatchy News previously reported.
An investigation revealed that the Free Fall ride operators did not follow proper procedures on the ride, according to WESH. The ride’s operator was issued a $250,000 fine, the outlet said.
This story was originally published January 1, 2023 at 12:04 PM with the headline "Dozens trapped on 400-foot Ferris wheel after power goes out, Florida officials say."
