Rollercoaster riders stuck upside down for hours at Wisconsin festival

Excitement turned into fear when a carnival ride malfunctioned at Wisconsin’s Forest County Festival theme park. Eight riders were suspended upside-down on “Fireball” — a roller coaster that rolls along a ring-shaped track — for hours while the ride stalled.

Officials cited “mechanical failure,” but the exact cause is unclear.

Videos on social media show rescuers climbing up the side of the ride as passengers and crowds on the ground await the rescue of those trapped.

Specialized equipment and additional rescue teams were brought to the scene, including firefighters from three cities. With a ladder truck equipped with a 30.5-meter platform arriving from a neighboring city, the Crandon Fire Department removed riders one by one.

The first passengers were brought to safety after two hours, but some riders were stuck for as long as three hours.

Emergency services treated multiple patients on the scene. One was transported to a nearby hospital via ambulance. It took ten fire trucks, nine ambulances, and 50 personnel to rescue all eight passengers.

The ride had been inspected recently, according to the ride operator.