HOT SPRINGS, Ark. (KTHV) - Several riders were stuck for nearly an hour on the X-Coaster ride at Magic Springs on Monday afternoon.
According to the park, the roller coaster stopped working around 2:31 p.m. with riders on board. The ride was stuck until about 3:28 p.m. until it "manually returned to the station."
Guests who witnessed the coaster malfunction said that workers had to climb up the ride to keep people hydrated.
"After a while they got an anchor and they started dragging them down and they all got down safely," said Jesus Alonso. "Some of them were crying, some of them were fine."
Cassie Smith told us she thought the park lacked a sense of urgency when it came to getting the riders down. Smith said an employee told her that the riders were in a reclining position and that "EMTs were on standby and someone to work on the roller coasters."
The park said the guests were "enjoying the park" after the event. But other guests at the park aren't sure if the X-Coaster ride should be open to the public.
"After seeing that happen, they should probably just get rid of that," said one park guest.
In 2007, a dozen riders were hanging upside down from the ride for half an hour after a power outage shut down the attraction.