Dozens of people had to be rescued from a rollercoaster in Blackpool today after it broke down.
Around 30 riders, including a five-year-old boy, got stuck on the wooden, twin-track Grand National, which was built in 1935.
Staff at the Blackpool Pleasure Beach had to climb up the ride, which stands 19 metres high, to escort them back to the ground.
It comes just a few months after people had to walk back down the UK’s highest rollercoaster at the same theme park, which had stopped near the top of it’s major drop.
The same ride, the Big One, broke down again today at around the same time as the wooden rollercoaster.
It suffered a temporary stoppage, but riders were able to remain seated and the ride continued five minutes later.
@Pleasure_Beach not happy one bit, we got stuck on the grand national ride and we were give some tickets to jump the queue but no one will accept them!! Absolutely farcical!! Stuck on a ride with two children in this weather and all we get is a bottle of water!!!
— steve elyâšªï¸ (@ely_steven) June 1, 2021
Steve Ely, from Sheffield, went on the Grand National ride with his two children, and tweeted a photo of them stuck at the top of an incline.
He also criticised the Pleasure Beach and said all customers were given in compensation was a bottle of water and tickets that could not be used.
An eyewitness waiting to get on the ride said his children were ‘devastated’ as the ride was stopped while the problem was dealt with.
A spokesman for Blackpool Pleasure Beach said: ‘At 11.55 am on Tuesday June 1 a stoppage occurred on the lift hill of the Grand National.
‘All riders were safely escorted down the lift hill, and the ride was checked and re-opened just before 1pm
‘Shortly afterwards there was a very brief stoppage on the Big One lift hill, at 50ft, riders remained seated and the ride continued after five minutes.’
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