Crime & Safety
22 Rescued From Stuck Ride At Phoenix's Castles N’ Coasters
Teams from the Phoenix and Glendale police departments were called to rescue riders stuck on the park's Desert Storm roller coaster.
PHOENIX, AZ — More than 20 people had to be rescued from a roller coaster at Phoenix's Castles N’ Coasters on Saturday night after the attraction malfunctioned mid-ride, according to Phoenix fire officials.
Officers were called to the amusement park around 5:30 p.m. after its Desert Storm roller coaster stalled on a horizontal loop. Twenty-two people were on the ride at the time, authorities said, and were stranded about 20 feet in the air.
Technical rescue teams from the Phoenix and Glendale police departments rescued passengers on at a time using a cinch collar and a pick-off harness, according to Phoenix Fire Capt. Todd Keller.
Find out what's happening in Phoenixfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
All riders are safely off the roller coaster. Crews will be disassembling their rescue equipment and will be returning to service. Staff from Castles N’ Coasters state the the ride will be unavailable for and unknown amount of time. pic.twitter.com/jfmbhqF7Pa
— Phoenix Fire Dept. (@PHXFire) May 16, 2021
No injuries were reported, authorities said.
"A couple of them were shaken up, but overall they were in good spirits," Keller told KTVK/KPHO.
Find out what's happening in Phoenixfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
The park's website describes Desert Storm as one of its top attractions: "Test your senses and courage as you challenge the excitement of the vertical drops, spins, and flips of the awesome Desert Storm Roller Coaster."
Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.