Two men experienced a heart-stopping ordeal when they found themselves stranded 130 feet in the air on a faulty roller coaster, hanging on for about an hour.
Matthew Cantu, 24, and Nicholas Sanchez, 20, were at the Circuit of the Americas (COTA) sports complex in Austin on Wednesday night when their ride on the Circuit Breaker went unexpectedly wrong.
The roller coaster car climbed to a height of 130 feet before coming to a sudden halt, leaving Cantu and Sanchez precariously suspended at a steep 90-degree angle.
‘Once we got to that 90-degree angle, and a sufficient amount of time passed, we realized that something serious was wrong,’ Cantu told CBS Austin.
A dramatic photo captured the moment, showing the two men looking down in shock.
Their publicist shared with KXAN that for over 30 minutes, the families of the trapped riders were left in the dark, receiving no updates on the situation.
According to witnesses, staff offered varying explanations, one of which suggested the riders “weren’t strapped in correctly,” the publicist reported.
‘It was hard for us to feel any sense of comfort or safety. At that position, the only thing between the ground and you is the harness,’ Cantu told CBS Austin.
The Circuit Breaker attraction was stalled for about an hour, with the two passengers stuck at a 90-degree angle
Matthew Cantu (right), 24, and Nicholas Sanchez (left), 20, retold their terrifying experience to CBS Austin
After 36 minutes, one of their relatives – fed up with the park’s alleged lack of urgency – ended up calling 911 for help around 9:30pm.
About 10 minutes later, EMS and the fire department arrived. Authorities ‘questioned the delayed notification,’ according to the publicist.
Fortunately, staffers were able to resolve the issue with the ride, which debuted in October, and it ‘proceeded without incident, a COTA spokesperson told KXAN.
They noted that ‘a sensor triggered a ride delay.’ The Daily Mail has reached out to COTA for clarification.
‘Being up there for that long, it can do a lot to a person. Once that 35-minute mark passed, my mind just went to the darkest places,’ Cantu recalled to CBS Austin.
‘It also didn’t help that staff, when they came up to try and assess the problem, did make light of the situation by giggling and even making jokes.’
First responders ruled that Cantu and Sanchez did not need any medical assistance after the gut-wrenching ordeal.
But they said that they were left with uncomfortable symptoms after they were finally returned to the ground.
Cantu and Sanchez were pictured strapped in on the roller coaster at 130 feet in the air
A concerned relative finally called first responders, you rushed to the scene within 10 minutes of the call
Cantu allegedly felt lightheaded and had ‘symptoms consistent with blood pooling,’ their spokesperson told the outlet.
Blood pooling generally occurs in the legs and refers to blood collecting in a person’s veins because it cannot flow back to the heart, according to the North Atlanta Vascular Clinic.
This can cause swelling, varicose or ‘spider’ veins, cramps, leg ulcers and pain.
Sanchez claimed to have experienced numbness in his upper leg from being suspended for so long.
‘As with all amusement attractions of this sort, delays occasionally occur. We regret the inconvenience and are glad that out of the 25,000 people that have ridden the coaster, only two have this badge of courage,’ the spokesperson told KXAN.
The men said they have not heard from the park since the incident.
