Blackpool Pleasure Beach visitors rescued after roller coaster breaks down 60ft in the air

Blackpool Pleasure Beach guests were left stranded sixty feet in the air after one of the park’s roller coasters ground to an unexpected standstill. 

The Grand National, which became Europe’s first-ever twin racing roller coaster upon its completion in 1935, was approaching its summit when it broke down yesterday, June 1st.

Thirty passengers – children included – on the rollercoaster had to be escorted back down to safety by staff after the carriages suddenly stopped climbing the tracks on an incline.

A spokesman for the park told the BBC that a ‘stoppage occurred on the lift hill’ and ‘all riders were safely escorted down.’

He said there had also been ‘a very brief stoppage’ on the lift hill of the park’s largest ride, the Big One, at about the same time, but its riders ‘remained seated and the ride continued after five minutes.’

The Grand National reopened at around 1pm – just over an hour after the error occurred.

Riders were quick to share footage of the incident on Twitter, with one parent expressing his frustration over being offered ‘queue jump’ and ‘a bottle of water’ as compensation.

He said: “@Pleasure_Beach not happy one bit, we got stuck on the grand national ride and we were given some tickets to jump the queue but no one will accept them!! Absolutely farcical!! Stuck on a ride with two children in this weather and all we get is a bottle of water!!!”

This is the second time that riders have had to be evacuated from a malfunctioning rollercoaster since Blackpool Pleasure Beach reopened for business almost two months ago.

In April, passengers on The Big One – the UK’s tallest rollercoaster – were forced to walk down from the top when the ride unexpectedly stopped at its summit of 200ft.