Guests Terrified After Slingshot Ride Snaps And Crashes At London Amusement Park

Some patrons at a London amusement park probably weren’t amused by what happened while riding the Slingshot attraction Wednesday night.

Two teen boys were visiting Hyde Park’s Winter Wonderland and decided to go on the ride around 10:20 p.m., only to have it malfunction while aboard.

The carriage they were sitting in careened into a post and ended up stuck in the air revolving while crowds of people witnessed the incident below, according to the Evening Standard.

And, yes, the terrifying experience was captured on video.

Rescue crews were called to the scene, but amusement park employees were able to lower the cage and free the boys before police and fire crews arrived.

Although no injuries were reported, health and safety officials have been alerted about the incident, according to the paper.

A Hyde Park Winter Wonderland spokesperson said the accident was caused by “a technical issue involving the reverse bungee.” 

An official who inspects amusement park rides for safety told NewsShopper.co.uk that the Slingshot was analyzed Thursday morning and said that the elastic cord and the steel wire rope supporting the reverse bungee gondola had “not snapped or failed in any way.”

However, the accident was caused by a technical issue within a sealed gearbox that controls the release of the elastic cord and steel wire rope.

Wednesday’s incident was the latest wacky mishap on an amusement park ride.

In August, more than a dozen people were injured when the El Toro roller coaster at the Six Flags Great Adventure theme park in Jackson Township, New Jersey, malfunctioned, including five riders who were hospitalized with back, neck, and mouth injuries.

In August 2021, a roller coaster in Japan known for its “super death” acceleration to triple-digit speeds was reportedly shut down after riders suffered serious bone fractures.

Also, a Texas water park was closed in 2021 after dozens of people were sickened from a chemical irritant linked to the park’s kiddie pool, authorities said.