Cedar Point’s new rollercoaster, Siren’s Curse, has stalled at least five times, leaving riders stranded on top of its 160-foot peak.
The coaster debuted this summer as North America’s tallest, longest and fastest tilt roller coaster, according to the park.
Videos showing riders making their way down on foot from the top of Siren’s Curse have gone viral on social media. Riders can be seen clinging on to a railing as they walk down.
Siren’s Curse has stalled four times since opening June 28. The most recent incident happened on July 26.
In a statement, Tony Clark, Regional Manager of Public Relations at Cedar Point, said the stalls are not a mechanical error, but minor technical delays. He compared them to a check engine light coming on, leading to a pause in the ride’s operation.
“Its safety system performed as designed, keeping all guests safe. Following a complete systems check, guests either continued their ride then exited in the station, or were safely escorted off the ride if additional review was needed,” wrote Clark.
All inspections for rides at Cedar Point are conducted by the Ohio Department of Agriculture Division of Amusement Ride Safety & Fairs. In a statement, ODA Director Brian Baldridge explained the reasons behind the stoppage are the ride’s built-in sensors failing or an error in relaying information occurs in the ride’s computer system. All rides are inspected to the same standards, Baldridge wrote. Inspectors examined the ride’s equipment twice: once when the ride was not running and a second time when it was.
“ODA’s ride inspectors ensure all rides are assembled, maintained, and operational according to the manufacturer’s specifications at the time of inspection,” Baldridge wrote.
Cedar Point has a permit to operate Siren’s Curse and deemed it safe, he said.
“All modern rollercoasters are equipped with a significant number of sensors and redundancies to ensure that the ride is operating in a safe manner.,” Baldridge said. “If the computer system identifies an error, it will not allow the roller coaster to launch.”
The July 22 evacuation video also raised questions about evacuation safety with a video showing an employee near the edge of the hill without a safety harness. The U.S. Department of Occupation Safety and Health Administration confirms a non-formal complaint was filed on July 23 concerning the video. According to a spokesperson from OHSA, the amusement park took corrective action, and the complaint has since been closed.
“Safety is a cornerstone of our business. We completed an internal review and have taken the appropriate action,” wrote Clark in a separate statement.
When it comes to the safety of Cedar Point visitors, Clark wrote that they will continue to work with the company that built Siren’s Curse to deliver a ride experience without interruptions.
