Firefighters rescued ten people from a dangling roller coaster in Daytona Beach on Thursday night after it derailed. Two people were ejected from the car, falling 34 feet to the ground. Six people were taken to the hospital the serious injuries.
“The riders were very frightened and the firefighters were doing a great job of trying to make sure that everyone stayed calm so the rescue could go off successfully,” spokeswoman Sasha Stanton said.
Firefighters used a tower truck so they could climb onto the tracks and extract the passengers from their seats. They then led the stuck riders to the ladder so they could climb back down to the ground.
Florida Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam said that the Sand Blaster at the Daytona Beach Boardwalk had passed an inspection on Thursday. Despite passing its most recent inspection, the coaster does not have a great safety record. The Sand Blaster racked up over a dozen safety violations in the past year, ranging from cracked supports to damaged handrails.
The Florida Bureau of Fair Rides Inspection has launched an investigation into what caused the cars to derail.
“We have launched an investigation to determine the cause of the accident, and anyone who should be held accountable will be held accountable,” its communications director, Jennifer Meale, said in a statement.
There was rain in the area, but officials have not said if the weather was a factor in the accident.