Stranded for an Hour: Parkgoers Trapped on Six Flags Ride After Malfunction
Panic-stricken amusement park guests remained suspended mid-air for over an hour following a technical failure on a attraction at Six Flags America in
Maryland
.
A pleasant day at the Bowie amusement park became unpleasant for 32 visitors when the SteamWhirler stopped working during the afternoon on Saturday.
The malfunctioning attraction features four arms capable of holding eight individuals each during rotation. It made its debut in 2024, with Six Flags America noting that it offers a ‘moderate’ intensity experience.
While the park told
Fox News
Its personnel is capable of managing such scenarios without external help, yet one anxious passenger still called 911.
Firefighters from the Prince George’s County Fire and Emergency Medical Services Department (PGFD) reached the location at 3:25 pm.
Every rider was taken off the malfunctioning ride, with one individual transported to the hospital, as stated by the PGFD.
The department classified the injured individual’s condition as “severe yet not immediately dangerous,” though this was unrelated to the attraction coming to a halt.
A Six Flags representative said to Fox News: ‘Last afternoon, one of our attractions failed to finish its usual sequence and stopped before coming back down.’
No visitors suffered injuries. The attraction will stay closed for an extensive inspection to identify the reason behind its shutdown.
A spokesperson mentioned that occasionally attractions and roller coasters come to a halt due to sensors that automatically turn them off when detecting an issue—no matter how small it may be.
The attractions will not operate again until the problem has been assessed and resolved by staff, they said.
“Occasionally, the process demands an extended evaluation from qualified professionals. When this happens, we remove passengers—just as we did yesterday,” the representative said to the source.
This alarming event occurs just under three months prior to the
Bowie Six Flags is scheduled to permanently shut down.
.
The famous amusement park, which first opened in 1974 under the name The Wildlife Preserve, went through several name alterations before 1999, when Premier Parks purchased it and renamed it Six Flags America.
The Bowie Six Flags’ related water park, Hurricane Harbor, will also close down.
“During our thorough evaluation of our park assets, we’ve concluded that they do not align with the company’s vision for sustained expansion,” stated Six Flags President and Chief Executive Officer Richard Zimmerman in a press release.
Following an assessment of various alternatives, we think promoting the property for renewal will yield the greatest worth and financial gain.
The park is most famous for being the location of Wild One, a 108-year-old wooden roller coaster recognized as the third-oldest in existence.
The shutdown will result in 70 full-time staff losing their positions, although the company mentioned that qualified employees will be offered termination packages and additional perks.
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