Ferris wheel malfunction leaves over a dozen stranded: Saskatoon Fire Department
Parkgoers at Nutrien Playland got an extremely long ride and an unforgettable story to tell Saturday after the famed Ferris wheel at Kinsmen Park broke down.
At roughly 2:30 p.m. with the sun shining over top of clear skies, 16 people riding the Ferris wheel were stranded for roughly an hour after a mechanical issue brought the usually busy ride to a standstill, according to the Saskatoon Fire Department.
Chris Kosty was fourth back in line with his two boys when he heard a loud hissing noise coming from the centre of the wheel. Previously spending time working on amusement rides, he had a good idea what was happening.
“Turns out the top tire of the two tires that control the speed of Ferris wheel ended up blowing out. So now they can’t control it from stopping or going right now,” Kosty said.
It didn’t take long for Kosty to get to the bottom of the mystery after park employees began inspecting where the noise was coming from.
They pointed out that they just finished replacing the top tire and they were concerned that's the issue, plus you can actually see the tire looks visibly flat,” he said, pointing to the deflated tire that was no longer able to make contact with the ride it was trying to spin.
Kosty said the ride didn’t stop right away.
“They thought it was a normal noise coming from the Ferris Wheel. And then it pretty much stopped right from there. They were having issues getting to go back and forth a little bit and the tire just kept on spinning,” he said.
Within a few minutes, dozens of people began crowding around the Ferris wheel as it slowly became apparent the ride wasn’t going to get moving anytime soon.
Once the fire department showed up, a technician was called in to see how best to retrieve the stranded riders.
“I was actually just telling the wife I wish I had my drone here. I’d fly some water up to them,” Kosty said.
Ann-Marie Chokani was walking up to the park to meet some friends when she heard an announcement about the Ferris wheel breaking down. While she was upset her children weren’t able to go for a ride, she was thankful she was on the ground staring up at the stranded riders and not the other way around.
“Some disappointment, but some relief that we hadn't been here 20 minutes earlier and were actually on it,” she said.
Chokani said watching the experience added a little excitement to her day, while her son instantly provided some perspective.
“Well imagine how the people are feeling up there. It's probably not that exciting for them,” she said, quoting her son. “So he put it into perspective that it's probably not a really exciting time for them.”
Around a little after 3:30 p.m., workers were able to use chains and wrap them around the Ferris wheel to slowly return the 16 people back to the ground safely without any injury. After an hour-long ride, each person was handed a bottle of water for their troubles.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Maple Leafs fall to Bruins in Game 3, trail series 2-1
Brad Marchand scored twice, including the winner in the third period, and added an assist as the Boston Bruins downed the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-2 to take a 2-1 lead in their first-round playoff series Wednesday
Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
New Indigenous loan guarantee program a 'really big deal,' Freeland says at Toronto conference
Canada's Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland was among the 1,700 delegates attending the two-day First Nations Major Projects Coalition (FNMPC) conference that concluded Tuesday in Toronto.
'Life was not fair to him': Daughter of N.B. man exonerated of murder remembers him as a kind soul
The daughter of a New Brunswick man recently exonerated from murder, is remembering her father as somebody who, despite a wrongful conviction, never became bitter or angry.