The 400-foot Orlando Eye in Florida shut down on Friday, July 3rd, which prompted the evacuation of its 66 riders.
The Ferris ride is the largest attraction on the East Coast and many tourists are very eager to get on it to have a look at the impressive view from above. However, the riders who decided to do that were not so lucky on Friday because the eye suddenly stopped spinning.
Fortunately, Orange County firefighters safely returned the 66 people trapped in the capsules of the wheel back to the ground in about three hours and no incidents were reported.
According to the fire department’s spokeswoman, Kathleen Kennedy, the wheel had stopped before for about 45 minutes.
The incident occurred at about 3.45 p.m. when the operating system reported a technical fault with the wheel’s system. The Orlando Eye would immediately shut down whenever there is a breakage in the system.
“Immediately following the default, the operations team began working to resolve the matter to allow guests to disembark the attraction. A backup system was employed that allowed capsules to be moved to the platform and opened manually,” said Andrea Alava, who is a PR manager of the Orlando Eye.
None of the people who were evacuated needed medical treatment and there were no reports of the teams having difficulty in carrying out their jobs.
After the riders were safely brought back to the platform, the tech crews started working on reinstating the system and restoring all the operations of the attraction on the East coast.
Representatives of the company issued statements, apologizing for any inconveniences and the state of stress the people might have experienced while sitting in their capsules, waiting to get off.
Many of the 66 riders tweeted about it constantly, keeping their acquaintances up-to-date with the progress the rescue teams were making.
The Orlando Eye is one of the main attractions in Florida and definitely the tallest structure. It is 400-foot high and it has 30 air-conditioned enclosed capsules. The riders can admire the beautiful vast landscapes of Central Florida.
It was said this incident is unlikely to affect the number of visitors who ride the wheel every day.
Image Source: southerntravelnews
