Eight high school students from Houston spent nearly four hours suspended at the top of a rollercoaster before firefighters extracted them one by one using a massive rescue ladder and harnesses.
The group became trapped on the Iron Shark ride at Pleasure Pier in Galveston after the coaster malfunctioned during its initial ascent. The car stalled at the apex of the nearly vertical drop, leaving the students dangling in the blazing sun with their feet hanging in open air above the Gulf of Mexico.
Galveston Fire Chief Mike Varela Jr confirmed the rescue operation, which unfolded over several hours as emergency personnel worked methodically to bring each student down. "Of course they were shaken up from climbing that ladder down, being in that hot sun," Varela said at a press conference. "They have been checked for dehydration and everyone seems to be doing pretty good."
All eight students, who attended schools in the Houston area and were on a field trip to the pier, emerged unharmed from the ordeal. Firefighters positioned their rescue ladder against the stalled car and secured each student with harnesses before guiding them safely to the ground.
Pleasure Pier management said the malfunction triggered the ride's emergency stop system as designed. "The ride experienced a malfunction at its initial ascent, however, as designed, it immediately stopped to keep everyone safe," said Terry Turney, the pier's chief operating officer. The park announced it would conduct a thorough inspection before reopening the Iron Shark.
The Houston Independent School District released a statement expressing relief at the outcome. "We are grateful that all students, staff, and chaperones are safe," the district said, adding that school administration had made direct contact with families of those involved.
Author James Rodriguez: "This kind of scare could have turned ugly fast, but the emergency protocols worked exactly as they should have, and everyone walked away unscathed."
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