NEWS

Ride ordeal 60ft up caught on film

Passengers were stranded for six minutes on the new ride at Yarmouth's Pleasure Beach.

17 May 2006 07:05

This is the dramatic moment Tracy Knowles and 16 other thrill-seekers found themselves trapped upside down in a malfunctioning amusement park ride.

For bosses at Yarmouth's Pleasure Beach it was the worst possible day for the new ride to break down - the day journalists from all over Norfolk had been invited to sample it.

Anglia TV cameras were there to capture the shock and fear on the faces of passengers trapped upside down high in the air after the Evolution ride suddenly stopped spinning.

And today the EDP joins a host of national newspapers in printing screen grabs of the horrific six minutes the thrill-seekers were stranded in the air.

Mrs Knowles, from Nottinghamshire, was the worst affected of all the passengers, requiring hospital treatment after losing consciousness.

Yesterday the 37-year-old told the EDP: "I have had a headache since coming off the ride on Sunday which gets worse every time I close my right eye and my doctor is getting worried about it.

"I got up this morning and felt stiff up my neck and down my back which I'm told is whiplash that I didn't notice at the time because of everything else.

"I love coming to Yarmouth but I don't think I'll be back for a while - and I'll certainly be keeping my feet on the ground when I do."

Husband John, 39, added: "We don't bear any malice against the Pleasure Beach, it's a lovely little place, quite inexpensive and keeps the kids entertained, but we might give it a miss next time we're in town."

Pleasure Beach managing director Albert Jones has previously said that passengers were in no danger and many continued to sample other rides once they had been let down.

Email A Friend