Overview
- The Iron Shark stalled during its initial vertical ascent on Thursday, leaving eight riders stranded near the ride’s roughly 100-foot summit.
- Galveston Fire Department crews used a 105-foot tower truck and safety harnesses to lower each rider one at a time in a rescue that took about three to four hours.
- The eight passengers were students on a Houston-area school field trip and were evaluated on scene for dehydration and shock with no serious injuries reported.
- Pleasure Pier officials said the coaster’s emergency stop worked as designed, the ride remains closed, and a thorough inspection and investigation are underway to identify the cause.
- The Iron Shark is a marquee steel coaster on the pier with a 100-foot vertical lift, a beyond-vertical drop and top speeds near 52 mph, and the incident is likely to prompt close scrutiny of safety checks before it returns to service.