2 people hospitalized after Knott’s Berry Farm ride breaks down, leaving riders stranded mid-air

Two thrill-seekers were hospitalized Monday after they became stranded for more than two hours on a malfunctioning ride at Knott’s Berry Farm in Orange County.

The two riders were among 22 people who were suspended in air on Sol Spin, a ride that sends guests up to six stories in the air as they rotate independently on one of six spinning arms.

Video from Sky5 around 4 p.m. showed the ride stuck motionless mid-air with some riders trapped in a near-vertical position.

Theme park officials confirmed to KTLA that the ride experienced a technical issue around 2 p.m., and maintenance workers were called to the scene to get the ride moving again so they could safely evacuate the riders.

By 4:30 p.m., workers successfully lowered the ride to the ground, and the 22 trapped riders were able to disembark.

Video showed at least one person required a wheelchair while getting off the ride, but theme park officials initially said no injuries were reported.

Later Monday evening, an updated statement from Knott’s said two female riders were transported to a local hospital “out of an abundance of caution.”

An official from the Orange County Fire Authority was dispatched to the Buena Park theme park, but the fire department said the incident was being handled by theme park staff.

“Sol Spin is a high-speed spinning ride that rotates the riders in three directions simultaneously. Riders on the freely rotating, floorless gondolas gain a real sense of being airborne while suspended and flipping above the ground,” the ride’s information page reads on the Knott’s Berry Farm website.

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