LARGO, Md — A ride at Six Flags America in Largo, Maryland, is closed for the time being after 31 riders were left stuck over the weekend.
Prince George's County Fire and EMS responded to the park in the 13700 block of Central Ave at 3:25 p.m. on Saturday.
Per a spokesperson with Six Flags America, the ride 'did not complete its typical cycle and paused before returning to the ground.'
The spokesperson added that 'ride stops' are 'widely misunderstood as "accidents or malfunctions," when they are the opposite.'
"Our rides are equipped with sensors that monitor all aspects of the ride cycle. On rare occasions, a sensor will send an alert to the control panel that stops the ride, similar to a “check engine” light," the spokesperson said. "However, unlike your car, rides will not run when a sensor is engaged. This maintains the safety of riders and operators. In most cases, a complete systems check can reset the ride quickly, and the ride resumes. Sometimes the ride requires a more lengthy review by maintenance experts. In those cases, we unload riders. Safety sensors stopping a ride demonstrates that the ride’s safety system is working properly to protect riders and operators."
All 31 riders were able to offload from the ride safely and were checked by PG County Fire.
One person was transported to the hospital, but officials say the injury was unrelated to the ride stop, stating that the person was not on board the ride at the time of the incident.
Officials say the ride will undergo a 'thorough review' to determine what caused it to stop.
