16 Trapped for Hours on SeaWorld Ride

Park says 'unusual gust' caused power outage
By Rob Quinn,  Newser Staff
Posted Feb 19, 2019 12:07 AM CST
16 Rescued From SeaWorld Ride
In this photo provided by Kasia Gregorczyk, more than a dozen people are trapped on a ride at SeaWorld Monday, Feb. 18, 2019, in San Diego.   (Kasia Gregorczyk via AP)

SeaWorld blames "an unusual gust of significant wind" for a power outage that left 16 people trapped in gondolas suspended above water for several hours Monday night. Authorities in San Diego say the passengers, including several children and an infant, were brought down by firefighters in stages starting around 9:30pm, three hours after the ride stopped functioning, the San Diego Union-Tribune reports. The last riders were taken down around 11pm. Riders were lowered by harnesses and rescued by boats, reports the AP. Police say the five gondolas stopped working after wind tripped a circuit breaker. It was about 49 degrees at the time, so passengers would have had a chilly wait, though SeaWorld says the gondolas had blankets on board. The park says the 52-year-old ride will be thoroughly inspected before it reopens. (More SeaWorld stories.)

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