Maryland Six Flags roller coaster Jokers Jinx traps about 20 riders on board
About 20 people were trapped on a roller coaster for several hours outside Baltimore, Prince George’s County fire officials said.
Officials say it happened on the roller coaster called “Joker’s Jinx,” CBS Baltimore reports. Firefighters had to take each individual down using a harness.
Mark Brady, the Prince George County Fire Department spokesman, posted on Twitter that their plan was to “remove children first.”
At @SixFlagsDC @AACoFD Waugh Chapel Tower 5 brings down additional riders to the ground #PGFD @AACountyFirePIO pic.twitter.com/lM8B8or1jA
— Mark Brady (@PGFDPIO) April 14, 2017
PGFD Tower 826 brings down another 3. Total of 13 down and 7 to go. All are OK @SixFlagsDC #PGFD pic.twitter.com/t8zeEgjM6T
— Mark Brady (@PGFDPIO) April 14, 2017
U/D @SixFlagsDC 3 more safely down with just 2 more riders and remaining rescue techs to come down. #PGFD. All are OK pic.twitter.com/pQqrKzwZ6P
— Mark Brady (@PGFDPIO) April 14, 2017
Just after 7 p.m., the first adult and two children had been lowered. By 9:30 p.m., all the riders had been rescued and just the firefighters needed to come down.
The plan is to remove children first. The first adult and 2 children are in the safety of our bucket and being prepared to be lowered PGFD pic.twitter.com/NFcSdZa4BV
— Mark Brady (@PGFDPIO) April 13, 2017
Six Flags issued a statement saying the roller coaster stopped “at a safe site,” but did not list the reason by the ride could not complete its regular ride cycle.
On its website, Six Flags describes the “Joker’s Jinx” ride’s top speed is 60 mph and was introduced to the park in 1999.