2 People Stranded On Dallas Amusement Park Ride
DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM) - An amusement park ride malfunction left a couple stranded 100 feet above the ground for hours on Monday night. The drama unfolded at the Zero Gravity Thrill Amusement Park in Dallas, located near the intersection of Interstate-35E and Walnut Hill Lane.
The attraction that malfunctioned is called the Texas Blastoff Bungee Ride. According to the park's website, riders are launched 150 feet into the air using bungee cords attached to two massive poles – like a giant slingshot.
But something went wrong. Witnesses said that the bungee wires got tangled.
The couple, identified as William Mancera and Thalia Rodriguez, were at the amusement park to celebrate their engagement. Rodriguez encouraged Mancera to get on the ride to conquer his fear of heights. But the two were then stuck in the air for three hours.
Dallas Fire-Rescue was called to the park to save the riders. The couple was placed into a bucket attached to a ladder truck. They were lowered to safety with no serious injuries, just some dehydration after being stuck in the air -- and heat – for so long. Temperatures at the time of the incident were still in the triple-digits. Rodriguez and Mancera were taken to the hospital as a precaution.
CBS 11 News spoke with Diego Rodriguez, the female rider's brother, as the rescue was taking place. "Three hours? It's ridiculous. But I'm glad they're down and get to go home now," he said.
A big question now remains for the park owners. Is this ride safe?
