A malfunction at the North Carolina State Fair left dozens of passengers suspended nearly 100 feet in the air Thursday evening when the popular Vertigo ride abruptly stopped mid-operation.
According to John Wesley Waugh, Director of Communications for the North Carolina Department of Labor (NCDOL), the ride automatically halted after detecting a low-voltage fault, a built-in precaution designed to prevent mechanical failure.
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Waugh told PEOPLE that the low-voltage fault triggered the ride to automatically stop as a precaution. “The ride came to a controlled stop, allowing for the safe and timely manual evacuation of all patrons. At no point was anyone at risk,” he stated.
{{/usCountry}}Waugh told PEOPLE that the low-voltage fault triggered the ride to automatically stop as a precaution. “The ride came to a controlled stop, allowing for the safe and timely manual evacuation of all patrons. At no point was anyone at risk,” he stated.
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Fair staff carried out a manual evacuation to bring everyone down safely. “The ride came to a controlled stop, allowing for a safe and timely rescue of all patrons,” Waugh added.
Video footage captured by WRAL News showed anxious riders stranded high above the fairgrounds as emergency crews worked to bring them down. One passenger, Hannah Norris, recalled praying with her young son during the ordeal. “All I could think was, ‘We’re going to drop,’” she told the outlet.
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The Vertigo, a towering swing-style ride that spins riders in a circle at the top of its mast, had passed a full inspection by NCDOL officials earlier that same day, along with nearly 100 other attractions at the fair. It remains unclear how long the riders were stuck before the issue was resolved.
In a statement, the company operating the Vertigo offered affected passengers a complimentary ride once the attraction was cleared to reopen.