Sixteen people were rescued after a tripped circuit breaker caused a gondola at SeaWorld to stop running.
According to multiple news reports, the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department was called to the Bayside Skyride, a gondola ride at SeaWorld San Diego that crosses over Mission Bay at 7:20 p.m.
#BREAKING San Diego police confirm a strong gust of wind tripped the circuit breaker on the Bayside skyride @ #SeaWorld leaving at least 15 people stuck on the ride some of them suspended above the water. You can see the gondolas illuminated in blue. @fox5sandiego pic.twitter.com/6Jywvuc0fh
— Kasia Gregorczyk (@KasiaGTV) February 19, 2019
There were 16 people trapped in five cars, including children, when the ride stopped suddenly and SeaWorld engineers were unable to get the gondola restarted.
“We were clutching for our lives and didn’t know if we were about to drop or what was going on,” Jonathan Sherr, who was on the ride with his son, told NBC News.
Dramatic video shows SeaWorld guests being rescued from the gondolas, depicting crews lowering people into boats waiting below.
More than a dozen people were rescued from a ride suspended over water at SeaWorld in San Diego after a gust of wind tripped a circuit breaker. https://t.co/IrM65VJ7fX pic.twitter.com/3mRlNqHtHS
— USA TODAY Video (@usatodayvideo) February 19, 2019
San Diego Fire-Rescue Department spokesman José Ysea said that rescuers were “basically repelling across the wires” to return those trapped to safety.
“Something like this, we want to be slow and methodical. A fall from that distance can be catastrophic,” SDFD Battalion Chief Robert Logan told NBC San Diego.
All 16 people were rescued successfully and no one was injured. Once they made it to the dock safely, people were evaluated by medical staff.
A statement from SeaWorld said: “Guest safety is our top priority. Once our guests are cared for, we will conduct a thorough inspection of the ride prior to re-opening,” the statement read. “We apologize for the inconvenience this has caused the guests.”