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Riders stuck midair for hours after Knott's Berry Farm ride experienced technical difficulties

Riders trapped in mid-air after Knott's Berry Farm ride malfunctions
Riders trapped in mid-air after Knott's Berry Farm ride malfunctions 05:24

A group of Knott's Berry Farm park-goers were stuck midair for hours when their ride came to an abrupt halt on Monday afternoon. 

According to park officials, the "Sol Spin" ride came to a stop at around 2 p.m. due to technical difficulties.

SkyCal flew over the park at around 4 p.m., where rescue operations were underway. Some of the riders were stuck in a sideways position, but none were upside down. 

Crew members could be seen working on the side of the ride moments before they used cables to stabilize the spinning arms and then slowly lowered it into it's starting position. 

The riders were freed at around 4:30 p.m. Two people were loaded onto wheelchairs, but it's unclear what the extent of their possible injuries were. 

There appeared to be about 20 riders that were trapped with SkyCal overhead, but no exact number was provided by officials. 

According to the Knott's website, Sol Spin is a "thrilling ride is one for the brave! Sol Spin sends guests on a thrilling adventure over 6 stories high as they rotate in all directions on one of six spinning arms."

 Despite the urgency of the incident, Orange County Fire Authority said that the matter was being completely handled by park officials. 

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