Additional Coverage:
On Friday evening, more than a dozen riders found themselves stranded mid-air when the Wave Twister ride at Long Island’s Adventureland came to a halt about 75 feet above the ground. The malfunction occurred around 7:30 p.m., leaving 16 passengers – ranging in age from 5 to 40 – suspended in the air for several hours.
Emergency responders from the West Babylon, East Farmingdale, and Amityville Fire Departments, alongside Suffolk County Police and mutual aid teams, quickly mobilized to rescue those trapped. It took approximately three hours to safely bring everyone down, with the final passenger rescued around 10:40 p.m., after darkness had fallen over the park.
Fortunately, no injuries were reported in what was a tense and frightening experience for all involved. The Wave Twister, which had only opened in March as part of a $10 million redevelopment of Adventureland’s Legacy Corner, is now closed pending a thorough safety review. The ride was manufactured by Ride Engineers of Switzerland.
An Adventureland spokesperson emphasized the park’s longstanding commitment to safety, stating, “For more than 60 years, Adventureland has enjoyed a proud record of safety and guest satisfaction. We understand the concern of the riders and their families who were involved today, and we will be working with our ride consultants to fully assess what happened.”
This incident follows a similar event just weeks earlier in Texas, where the Iron Shark coaster at Pleasure Pier malfunctioned, leaving riders stuck facing straight up near the top of a 100-foot drop. That rescue also took several hours, underscoring the challenges emergency teams face in such situations.