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A rescue took place at Six Flags America in Bowie, Maryland on Saturday after a ride malfunction left about 32 riders stranded for more than an hour.
Emergency crews arrived at the amusement park at around 3:25 p.m. to assist park staff with evacuating the dozens of stranded guests, according to an X post from Prince George’s County Fire and Emergency Medical Services Department (PGFD).
The 32 passengers were stuck for more than an hour, local outlet WUSA9 reported.
“Technical Rescue 3:25pm 13700 block Central Ave in Largo,” PGFD posted to X on Saturday. “PGFD Technical Rescue units on scene at [Six Flags America] working w/park staff to evacuate approx. 32 riders stuck on a ride. Patients to be evaluated by EMS.”
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Initially, PGFD said that one rider had been taken to the hospital with serious but non-life-threatening injuries. However, the fire department clarified shortly after that the patient transport was a separate medical call unrelated to the rescue.
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“Update to Technical rescue at [Six Flags America]: All riders removed, additionally, the patient transport was a medical call unrelated to the rescue. PGFD units returning to service,” PGFD said in a separate X post.
A Six Flags spokesperson told Fox News Digital that while a guest on the ride did place a 911 call, no outside assistance was required to unload passengers. She noted that staff are specifically trained to manage these types of situations.
“Yesterday afternoon, one of our rides did not complete its typical cycle and paused before returning to the ground,” the spokesperson for Six Flags told Fox News Digital in an email on Sunday. “…No guests were injured. The ride will remain closed for a thorough review to determine what caused it to stop.”
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The spokesperson added that sensors occasionally trigger alerts that stop the ride, similar to a “check engine” light. Unlike a car, the ride will not operate until the issue is cleared.
“Sometimes, the ride requires a more lengthy review by trained experts. In those cases, we unload riders — as we did yesterday,” the spokesperson said.
Six Flags America and Hurricane Harbor in Bowie, Maryland, which rebranded and opened as a Six Flags property in 1999, will operate for the final time on Nov. 2, Six Flags Entertainment Corporation announced earlier this year.
“As part of our comprehensive review of our park portfolio, we have determined that Six Flags America and Hurricane Harbor are not a strategic fit with the company’s long-term growth plan,” Six Flags President and CEO Richard Zimmerman said in a statement at the time. “After reviewing a number of options, we believe that marketing the property for redevelopment will generate the highest value and return on investment.”
Prince George’s County Fire and EMS did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
Fox News Digital’s Greg Norman contributed to this report.
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