Hersheypark was forced to suddenly evacuate a popular rollercoaster due to an “off-ride guest issue” over the weekend.
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According to local media outlet CBS 21, the incident occurred on Sept. 7 at the Hershey, Pennsylvania, amusement park. A spokesperson for Hersheypark confirmed the situation, noting the evacuation occurred at the Comet rollercoaster.
“Comet experienced a temporary stoppage on the track,” the spokesperson stated. “Which was caused by an unrelated off-ride guest issue. Per our protocols, our team safely escorted guests off the coaster and back into the station without issue, and the ride was reopened.”
It was further confirmed that the Hersheypark rollercoaster did not have any mechanical issues at the time of the evacuation.
The Rollercoaster Evacuation Occurred Just Days After a Young Boy Walked Onto the Hersheypark Monorail Tracks
The latest incident at Hersheypark comes a little over a week after a young park guest was seen walking on the tracks of the theme park’s monorail.
An adult park guest safely got the boy off the tracks.
A Hersheypark spokesperson revealed the monorail was closed at the time of the incident. The child was reunited with his parents not long after his rescue.
While speaking to ABC News, the adult park guest, identified as John Sampson, recalled details about the monorail incident.
“Everybody’s like, ‘oh my God, there’s — there’s a kid up there, there’s a kid up there!” the veterinarian and father of three recounted. “A kid is walking on the monorail, and obviously, panic kind of sets in a little bit.”
He then said, “When you have that, like, kind of dad instinct, it doesn’t matter if it’s your kid or not, it’s a child that you want to make sure they’re safe as possible.”
Sampson further recalled climbing onto the roof of a nearby concession stand in hopes he could get on the tracks. “There was a fence that I jumped on, and then I was able to jump on the roof from there,” he said. “And then it was a straight shot up. “
Although he has a fear of heights, Sampson said he didn’t even think about how high he was. “So, when I finally got him in my arms, honestly, there was no words,” he said. “I was just mumbling, ‘I’m so happy,’ you know, ‘I got you. You’re OK, you’re OK.'”
“And then it was like, ‘OK, now, how do I get down from here?'” he added. “Luckily, another gentleman was walking there for me, and he helped me out.”