According to authorities, 24 passengers were trapped on a roller coaster for hours on Sunday after a ride at Six Flags America in Maryland malfunctioned.
The passengers were suspended 75-feet above the ground on a ride called the Joker's Jinx for about five hours when the ride unexpectantly stopped working around 2:30 pm.
"While we are not yet sure what caused the stoppage, the ride performed as it is designed to," a statement from Six Flags said.
50 first responders rushed to the scene, giving the stranded passengers food, water, umbrellas and sunblock via a raised bucket.
The two-dozen trapped passengers could not safely walk down from the ride because the car stopped at curve on the track, which made a safe descent impossible.
After five hours, Prince George's County firefighters used ladder trucks to rescue all passengers by individually harnessing each person and removing them from the ride. There were no reported injuries.
"The ride will remain closed until the park completes a thorough investigation and both the staff and ride manufacturer have determined the ride is safe for operation," the statement said.
Joker's Jinx roller coaster reaches speeds of up to 60 miles per hour and includes four upside down turns. Luckily, passengers were not trapped upside down when the malfunction happened.
This is not the first time Six Flags has made news for ride malfunctions. Four people were injured on the Ninja ride at Six Flags Magic Mountain near Los Angeles back in June. And the Six Flags Over Texas was shut down last year after a woman died from being thrown from her seat last July.
The International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA) cites that there were about 4.3 injuries per million attendees at amusement parks in the U.S in 2011.
