ORLANDO, Fla. – Passengers on the Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit roller coaster at Universal Orlando were rescued Thanksgiving night after the ride got stuck, but no injuries were reported, according to fire officials.
The Rip Ride Rockit roller coaster stopped mid-ride around 8:30 p.m. Thursday, leaving passengers suspended on the track, the Orlando Fire Department said.
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Firefighters were called to the Florida theme park for a “technical rescue,” and fire officials said Friday morning that 24 passengers were safely removed from the ride.
The rollercoaster is 167 feet tall at its highest point. It wasn’t immediately known how long the riders were trapped on the coaster.
Universal Orlando’s website describes Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit as a “towering coaster (that) offers a musical twist.”
“As you strap in, you’ll pick the song you want to hear above your own shrieks. Adrenaline pumping and music thumping, you’ll climb toward the sky at a 90-degree angle and tackle the first ferocious drop. Topping out at 65 mph, this rip-roaring ride is a blast from beginning to end,” the website says.
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Video from Sky 6 showed the ride operating Friday morning, but it’s not known if guests were on board or if the ride was undergoing testing.
News 6 has reached out to Universal Orlando for comment but has not heard back.
Thursday’s incident wasn’t the first time that riders have been rescued from Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit.
Twelve riders were rescued after being trapped on the ride for over two hours in 2013, and six riders were trapped in one of the ride’s cars in 2019.