New photos from the rescue show the intense conditions and extreme heights of the incident.
GALVESTON, Texas — Eight students were rescued safely Thursday evening after the Iron Shark roller coaster at Galveston’s Pleasure Pier stalled near the top of its 100-foot ascent, leaving riders stranded in the afternoon heat for roughly four hours.
New photos from the fire department show the extreme conditions the crews were working in.
Galveston Fire Captain John Ferrington, who led the rescue operation, said the crew had to quickly build trust with frightened students while managing the physical and mental toll of a prolonged, multi-person extraction.
The coaster became stuck around 5:30 p.m. after malfunctioning on its initial ascent. Pleasure Pier officials contacted the Galveston Fire Department, and a six-member rescue crew deployed a ladder truck to reach the stranded riders one at a time, with roughly 20 minutes between each extraction.
Ferrington said the first challenge was simply getting the lift to work.
“The ride was full, and the lift didn’t work. We tried to reset it, tried to get it to work, it didn’t,” Ferrington said.
With the lift out of commission, rescuers in a tower truck reached heights of up to 105 feet to access students one by one. Ferrington said the two who were hardest to reach were also the first to need help.
“The first two that came off were pretty frantic,” he said.
The rescue was complicated further by conditions atop the ride.
“When we got up there, it felt like it was the hottest part of the day,” Ferrington said, though he noted conditions improved somewhat as a breeze picked up.
The final student proved especially difficult to reach. Ferrington said the team had to reposition him multiple times before the basket could get close enough.
“We actually had to move him multiple seats because we couldn’t get the basket any closer, so he was pretty frantic at that point,” Ferrington said.
Despite the difficulty, Ferrington said the students themselves made the job easier.
Ferrington said his crew’s preparation made the difference.
“Hopefully it’s a one time in a career type rescue. They don’t come very often, but when they do happen, you need to be prepared,” Ferrington said.
Got a news tip or story idea? Email us at newstips@khou.com or call 713-521-4310 and include the best way to reach you.