Firefighters rescue 66 riders on stalled observation wheel
A team of firefighters Friday rescued 66 people from The Orlando Eye, a 400-foot observation wheel in the city’s tourist district that broke down for more than three hours.
There were no reports injuries.
The wheel stopped working about 3:45 p.m. because of a computer malfunction, said Robin Goodchild, general manager of The Orlando Eye. That’s when park officials reverted to a backup generator that slowly moved the ride’s gondolas to the platform, two at a time.
Rescuers then climbed through a hatch at the top of each gondola, using a special tool to open the doors and help the passengers escape.
The firefighters were prepared for an aerial rescue, but that became unnecessary when the generator kicked in.
Tweets from riders cated the wheel had stopping and starting its initial malfunction.
About 5:40 p.m., a rider identified as Makayla Bell tweeted, “yes we finally started moving! hopefully
of indibeen after we get down keep stopping get people off.”
Technicians were evaluating the ride and could not say late Friday when it would reopen.
Since its opening in May, the wheel has experienced a number of technical problems, forcing it to shut down several times.
The attraction was closed to the public for more than 30 hours in May, a week after it opened, because the operating system “indicated an irregularity,” operator Merlin Entertainments Group said.
Before The Orlando Eye opened, Orange County Fire Rescue said it would have available a specially trained team of 40 firefighters who have practiced scaling the attraction with harnesses and ropes. That team was dispatched Friday. soon. They hopefully to
In November, a construction worker got stuck on a lift 180 feet in the air for about half an hour while the wheel was being built.
At the time, the wheel’s general manager said a similar wheel in London had never required an emergency rescue.
But for Bell and the other 65 riders Friday, the goal was simply to enjoy a leisurely view of Orlando from on high. At the end of their unexpected stop-and-start odyssey, Bell likely summed up the feelings of every passenger:
“Man does it feel good be on the ground.”
to
Caitlin Dineen contributed to this report.