Riders safe after being stuck 300 feet in the air

Twenty riders were trapped about 300 feet above Knott’s Berry Farm on the Wind Seeker thrill ride for more than three hours today before the ride was lowered and they were returned safely to the ground.

The Wind Seeker, which also became stuck on Sept. 7, stopped working
about 4 p.m, Jennifer Blazey of Knott’s Berry Farm said.

A security system activated on the ride, causing it to shut down, KCAL9
reported.

The riders reached the ground by about 7:50 p.m., according to broadcast
reports.

The ride, which opened in August 2011, has 32, two-person gondolas that
go 301 feet up and then swing riders for a minute at a 45-degree angle at eight rotations per minute, according to the theme park’s website.

There were no immediate reports of injuries, Buena Park police Cpl. Andy
Luong said.

Orange County Fire Authority firefighters were not called to respond to
the malfunctioning ride, Capt. Marc Stone said.

“I’m just happy to be on the ground. I kept imagining I was going to
fall,” an 11-year-old girl from Temecula, her knees still shaking from the
ordeal, told KCAL9 after she and a friend got off the ride.

The Wind Seeker was manufactured by Netherlands-based Mondial, according
to the Knott’s website.