Riders stuck midair for hours after Knott’s Berry Farm ride experienced technical difficulties

By Dean Fioresi

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    LOS ANGELES (KCAL/KCBS) — A group of Knott’s Berry Farm park-goers was stuck midair for hours Monday afternoon after the ride came to an abrupt halt.

According to park officials, the “Sol Spin” stopped mid-cycle, at around 2 p.m. due to technical difficulties.

SkyCal flew over the park at around 4 p.m., while rescue operations were underway.

Some of the riders were stuck in a sideways position, but none were upside down.

The park said in a statement to CBS News that, “We followed the ride manufacturer’s and (our) emergency procedures to safely evacuate the 22 guests by 4:30. Out of an abundance of caution, two female guests were transported to the hospital for further evaluation.” The extent of their possible injuries was unclear.

Crew members could be seen working on the side of the ride moments before they used cables to stabilize the spinning arms, then slowly lowered the ride into its starting position.

According to the Knott’s website, Sol Spin is a “thrilling ride is one for the brave! Sol Spin sends guests on a thrilling adventure over 6 stories high as they rotate in all directions on one of six spinning arms.”

Orange County Fire Authority said the incident was being completely handled by park officials.

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