Some Riders Got Stuck At The Top Of A 130 Foot Rollercoaster Drop, And It Wasn’t Just For A Few Minutes

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As a big fan of theme parks, I’ve definitely been on a ride that’s gotten stuck – it happens! Usually it’s just a quick pause before everything gets going again, and sometimes you might even need a little help getting off. But recently, something really scary happened at a park in Texas. A roller coaster actually stopped mid-ride, and it sounds like it turned a thrilling experience into a truly terrifying one.

An issue with the tilt mechanism on the Circuit Breaker roller coaster at Cotaland amusement park near Austin, Texas, left two riders stranded upside down over 100 feet in the air last night. Someone captured the scene and shared it on Twitter. Cotaland is located next to the Circuit of the Americas race track, and Circuit Breaker is the only ride of its kind in Texas.

The Circuit Breaker roller coaster stopped around 9:00 pm. Roughly an hour later, at about 10:00 pm, Matthew Cantu, 24, and Nicholas Sanchez, 20, were freed by authorities. While the exact time they were stuck is unknown, emergency services didn’t arrive for about 30 minutes after the ride stopped, prompting the men’s families to call 911 and request an ambulance.

A tilt coaster works by briefly holding a train in place on a flat section of track, then tilting that section downward to connect it with the rest of the ride. This allows the train to continue. In this case, the train didn’t release from its upright, locked position because of a faulty sensor. The sensor is supposed to confirm the track sections are correctly connected before letting the train go.

Okay, so people getting stuck on rides happens, but usually it’s just a big inconvenience. This situation was different – being suspended that high for so long was actually really tough on the body. I read that after they got down, Cantu felt dizzy and like his blood wasn’t flowing right, and Sanchez’s legs were numb. Thankfully, both of them said they were okay and didn’t need to go to the hospital, but it definitely sounded scary and uncomfortable!

Roller coasters are particularly prone to malfunctions, and because they’re designed to feel thrilling, a breakdown can actually be quite dangerous. Unfortunately, there have been injuries and even fatalities on roller coasters when something goes wrong. Thankfully, in this instance, it appears everyone involved only ended up with a good story to tell.

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2025-12-22 22:40