Ferris wheel riders at ICON Park in Orlando, Florida got a thrill from a ride that’s not usually considered a “thrill ride.”
The Ferris wheel ride at the ICON Park in Orlando, Florida lost power on Saturday evening, with 62 frightened, stranded people inside 20 of the pods on the 400-foot ride.
The incident was even scarier due to an accident that happened at the same theme park in March 2022, when a 14-year-old boy fell off the FreeFall ride and lost his life.
According to the Orange County Fire and Rescue Department, they received a call about a power failure and responded to the scene. More than 80 firefighters assisted the victims of the incident, and it took three hours for the firefighters to evacuate the ride because they had to manually turn the wheel to rescue each cabin individually. No riders or rescuers were injured.
Sparks were seen coming from one part of the ride, which was captured on video taken by witnesses. Robin Baker, one of the riders, confirmed he saw fire, sparks, and smoke at the lower part of the ride.
The ICON Park Ferris wheel has been open since 2015. According to a park spokesperson, the ride will be closed for inspection and maintenance. An announcement will be posted on the park’s website and social media accounts when it is back up and running.
