And this is why I will NOT ever ride a roller coaster!

[mwmisses4289]

https://abc13.com/post/galveston-pleasure-pier-roller-coaster-stopped-rider-rescue-underway-skyeye13-shows/19189544/

Happening right now!
Sending vibes that everybody, passengers and first responders, gets down safely!

[Bettie]

1. YIKES!

That would be awful.

[True Dough]

2. At the very least,

I would demand a refund!



Hope they all get home safe!

[Ilsa]

3. My fam and I were stuck a couple of times on the

Universal Studios first Harry Potter ride. Once, we we positioned on our backs, slightly head below feet. Another time we were pitched slightly forward. We were probably 20 feet up on one of the stranding stops.

[mwmisses4289]

15. Yikes!

[bucolic_frolic]

4. Once was enough

I didn't know I have balance issues. Mild, but it's there. Don't ask me to turn around 3x quickly, or on a ladder.

[vapor2]

5. OMG, watched some of this and it is frightening

[Vinca]

6. When I was in high school, I skipped classes one day to drive to an amusement park for the day with

friends. Sadly, we were on the roller coaster and it turns out someone fell out at the top. We weren't aware of it until the ride was over. So much for skipping school. I ended up being questioned by a detective when I got home. I think I was grounded for a year.

[pecosbob]

7. Lived near the Ocean View Amusement Park in Norfolk when I was a young man in the military.

They had an ancient wooden roller coaster that was still operating in the late 1970s. It was terrifying to watch the old frame stretch under the weight of the cars. Never went on one since.

[fujiyamasan]

8. Wow. Watching the live feed as the firefighters rescue them.

[Skittles]

9. on the bright side

I wouldn't mind being rescued by hot firemen

[mwmisses4289]

10. Hooray! They just got the last passenger out of the car and helping them down the fire ladder to the ground!

[fujiyamasan]

13. What a relief

[La Coliniere]

11. Hopefully they are careful getting the down.

Last edited Sat May 30, 2026, 11:45 AM - Edit history (1)

Roller coaster accidents are actually uncommon, but they are dramatic and sensationalized when they occur. I’ve been riding them since I was 5 years old and still love them 65 years later. In college I took a class called Technology and Public Policy. Most of my peer’s final projects were about weaponry or atomic energy or airline safety. Mine was on amusement park safety. The most dangerous ride in any amusement park is the carousel; kids and adults falling off horses or the still moving platform. That is what the CPSC had to say about it back in the 1980s.

[BootinUp]

12. I'm fairly certain that it is safer than getting in an automobile. nt

[mwmisses4289]

14. Apperently this was a sanctioned school

field trip for seniors from one of the Houston area high schools, and the passengers in the roller coaster car were all students from this school.
Thank every deity, good vibe, and fire fighter training for a happy ending!

[LetMyPeopleVote]

16. This is so very scary

Link to tweet

I had my first evacuation experience last year in October. On our last day in the parks (Saturday), we were doing the "single rider" line for a ride at the Animal Kingdon called Expedition Everest which is a roller coaster rider where you go backwards for part of the ride. We were coming up to the last part of the ride where the Yeti pretends to swipe at riders when the entire ride shut down. My oldest child was in a train that was behind us and had to go down 14 flights of stairs. My middle child was in the same train but two cars up from me and stayed with me. They got some cast members up to us and asked if anyone had medical issues. My middle child jumped in and told them that I had breathing and mobility issues. My middle child told me that it was up to me but she really wanted the fire department to help.

My COPD was acting up and after we got out of the ride we were supposed to go down 8 flights of stairs. We first exited the car and then had to wait for the evacuation. I could not get back into the ride to cross over (the step was high) and I started wheezing. I have balance issues at times and was worried about 8 flights of stairs The ended up getting the local fire department come up and take me down in a wheelchair. There are nice stairs throughout the ride and it was not too bad going down the wheelchair.

I had a rescue inhaler on me and the Disney cast members and the firefighters laugh at my "joke" that the rescue inhaler was not working. My son is in great shape and made it down to where my ECV was and talked to the firefighters before they went up. A senior management type was talking to my oldest and gave us a chance to watch a preview of a new attraction that was to open to the public next week. This was a cast preview for this new attraction that was replacing "It is Tough being a Bug".

Disney is set up for evacuations. I saw that they had some evacuations at Big Thunder Mountain when it reopened.

Link to tweet

I would not go on the Galveston roller coaster. I will stick with Disney roller coasters where they know how to evacuate people.

[mwmisses4289]

17. The Galveston fire fighters have trained for this.

True, it doesn't happen every day, but they were prepared.

Edited to add: I won't go on any roller coaster (ok, maybe the kiddies ones, lol), heights combined with speed and I just don't get along, lol.

[LetMyPeopleVote]

18. These firefighters are amazing

These firefighters are truly amazing

Link to tweet