Stuck Skyline rider: ‘I will think twice before I ride it again’
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) – Inspectors from the Indiana Department of Homeland Security spent part of the day Friday looking into what caused a ride at the Indianapolis Zoo to break down stranding people dozens of feet in the air.
The Skyline Ride at the International Orangutan Exhibit remained closed during the investigation and would until the ride passed inspection, zoo officials said.
The zoo has blamed a breaker tripping which stopping three gondolas on the track for more than two hours.
One of the riders affected by Thursday’s malfunction commended zoo staff and firefighters for staying calm and comforting during the situation.
Susan Baker of Indianapolis boarded the Skyline Ride late Thursday morning with her daughter, niece and mother-in-law. The group’s gondola led the pack of others that would not end up following.
“All of a sudden, I turned around and looked and the car behind us wasn’t moving at all and I was like ‘oh, maybe it’s just stuck for a second’ and we kept on going. By the time we got around, we realized that they were still there hanging,” Baker explained.
Baker’s ride ended up stopped short of the gondola station. Workers were able to get her gondola low enough that a ladder would reach. The family climbed down after a half hour wait.
“I think it happens at every amusement park that rides break. Things happen, it just happens to be that this one happened to us,” Baker said.
The ride on the Skyline was Baker’s first. She said she would think twice about giving it another try.