America’s Roller Coast Cedar Point was forced to shut down its thrill ride Power Tower after one of its cables detached while park guests were on board.
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Cedar Point spokesperson Tony Clark confirmed to PEOPLE that the incident occurred on Sunday, with guests being evacuated from the ride and the ride shut down.
David Chapman, who runs the Amusement Park Portal YouTube channel, shared details about the safety incident. He also included photos of the fallen cable. “They just had to have maintenance come out and [evacuate] people off the ride,” Chapman explained. “You can see the cable laying on the ground right there.”
Another eyewitness, identified as just Ryan, spoke to local media outlet Fox 8 about what happened.
“Me and my two daughters were next in line, standing directly below the drop towers,” he explained. “I heard a twing type of sound — like tension being released — and then this giant cable came down, it was like slow motion.”
He further shared it sounded like “the earth was coming to an end.”
“It broke from the top,” Ryan continued. “Whatever the weight of the steel cable falling from 250 feet is, it was like a giant whip. It was scary.”
Ryan noted that the guard shack was 10 feet from him and his daughters. “It was very close to being a bad situation.”
Clark released a statement about the incident, noting, “The ride’s safety system performed as designed, the ride vehicle returned to the loading position and all guests exited the ride safely.”
He then shared that the ride will remain closed until a “through review and inspection” is completed.
The Ohio Departure of Agriculture’s Amusement Ride Safety Division is currently investigating the incident.
Cedar Point Opened the Thrill Ride During the 2000 Season
Notably located in the middle of Cedar Point, Power Tower is described as “a thrill giant in the sky.”
“This state-of-the-art adrenaline factor features two towers that rockets rides 240 feet into the air,” Cedar Point stated in the ride’s description. The theme park noted that Power Tower has two towers that blast riders “back down to earth” from the same height.
“It is the only ride of its type with a square footprint, equaling four towers of pure fun,” the ride’s description reads. “No matter the direction, you will experience speeds up to 60 mph, but the choice of which direction you’re launched is left in your hands. Either one is going to provide incredible views like no other ride can provide. If you can’t feel the power now, you will when it’s time to choose your own fate.”
The height requirement for Power Tower is currently 48”.