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Subscribe to RSSJust hours after "Big Tex" burned to the ground, the Stratosphere strands riders high above the Texas State Fair.
It just wasn't the State Fair of Texas' day.
About 11 hours after fair icon Big Tex went up in flames, one of the fair's tallest rides malfunctioned, stranding two dozen riders in the air for just more than two hours on Friday.
Riders in the Stratosphere's hanging seats were stuck dangling about 165 feet in air when the ride lost power at about 9:11 p.m.
Carol Stradtman, one of the stranded riders, told NBC 5 by phone that all of the lights went off and the ride just stopped.
"It's extremely scary," she said.
View NBCDFW.com for complete coverage
The 24 riders were all on the ground by 11:20 p.m. Dallas Fire-Rescue said all of the occupants were safely removed from the ride after it was manually lowered.
Dallas police said fair officials provided the riders with blankets and refreshments once they were on the ground and that the fire department was on hand to provide any needed medical attention.
State Fair of Texas representatives said the Stratosphere would remain closed for the remainder of the fair's run.
This year's fair ends Sunday.
Power was restored to the ride by 10:50 p.m., but there appeared to be some issue that prevented the ride from immediately lowering its passengers.
Stradtman told NBC 5 that someone had climbed the center of the tower at about 9:40 p.m. and appeared to manually try to bring them down. She said a friend who was not on the ride said there was some kind of mechanical difficulty.
'Big Tex,' icon of Texas state fair, burns up
No injuries were reported, Dallas police said. Two Dallas Fire-Rescue technical rescue trucks were at the fair to help.
The Stratosphere, a 200-foot tall tower, turns and swings riders out over the fair.
Friday's woes are not the first for the Stratosphere.
The Dutch-made ride stalled at the Minnesota State Fair twice in as many days in August, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reported, as well as during the ride's debut in Wisconsin.
NBC 5's Ray Villeda and Ellen Goldberg contributed to this report.
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Leave a Comment:
Is this the same ride they had problems with last week?
Yep... bad day for the Texas State Fair
It sounds like there might be some issues with this ride that need to be addressed. The fact that the same ride had problems at another state fair where it was used is somewhat telling. I would think a complete inspection of the entire ride is warranted before they allow it to be used anywhere. Failure of a ride like this could result in a major tragedy and based on the repeated failures it certainly sounds like there are some major issues to be addressed either with the condition or the design of the ride.
yet people actually wait in line...then pay for the "privilege".......bet there is a line forming there right now.
GM Tramp. At least they had a good opportunity to photograph the cremains of Big Tex.
GM Bill seen that thing. there is an even crazyer one on a rooftop in vegas.But i can always find something better to do then stand in a line.
This ride is REALLY exciting when one of the two chains break that hold the chair to the ride.
THAT IS REALLY REALLY FUN!!!
look ...its a bird...its a plane....nope...its just some dumba$$ strapped to a chair and hurtling through the sky.....
Gotta wonder about those austerity measures being instituted by Republicans.
First they cause the death of a Texas Icon, now leaving citizens up in the air.
Next thing you know, they'll be demanding tax cuts for the weatlhy and an end to Medicare, Social Security and unemployment benefits.
They wanted excitement and danger? They certainly got their money's worth.
The worst part is you can't go to the bathroom.
You can go but you will need really good aim to hit the target at that height!
tim
wanna bet?
chris
there would be plenty of em, and since your just "hanging around" doing nothing anyway might as well have some fun........
There's a reason why all the ride operators have a rain jacket at their station. They make a good aiming point.
YES i did!
I would think the worst part would be if you fell off and went SPLAT on the pavement 150 feet below. SPLAT!
cool...bird@!$%# bingo...........and at say $500 a sqaure...........
The worst part isn't the fall ...... it's the sudden stop at the end.
Sounds like someone has been cutting corners on maintanence.... And Big Tex could be another indication of this...
naw im certain they followed standard maintenance procedures, like..if ya cant fix it with a hammer, what ya got is an electrical problem...............
1st Big Tex, now this? Gee, maybe "God" is trying to tell Texas something?
It would be pure justice if everything in Texas related to scientific theory started to malfunction. The water would start flowing backwards and the electrical currents reverse and blow out everything plugged into them.
But I do have friends in Texas. Not quite sure what they are doing there. Good people caught in a maelstrom of idiocy. Sixty million dollar high school football stadiums, bans on critical thinking, and a governor who sells creationism as science who manages an educational system with an undue influence on the textbooks that teach the rest of the nation.
Are Americans going to make a conscious decision to go into reverse? To choose blind faith over reason? That's the choice we will make on November 6th.
guys this is SATURDAY.... aren't ya a day early with your religion bashing?
but vox, that was a very well thought out and insightful post. why not share those views?...in say a local Texas bar......
I lived in Texas (Houston) for 4 years and I met some intelligent and creative people there. I also met some real goobers, making it - well crap like any other flipping state. I think if your going to bash any state you should have to tells us yours first, I'm betting we could come up with some real zingers ; )
I still like the fact that they discovered a rare spider in the middle of their freeway building AFTER they have it 3/4 built and now it's been on hold for a couple of weeks - The last I heard.
I'm from Maine so I won't be bashing Texas here. Fortunately I don't do Zumba.
shinystar: Fortunately I don't do Zumba.
That's not what your wife said. :)
ummm....isn't that the whole point of this contraption in the first place?
You think they put out Big Tex when they had to go? Sounds like there is a hex on the State fair.
It's a sign.
Repent for your wicked ways Texans.
Maybe they need to put up a big sign that tells how many times in the previous weeks the ride has stalled, then let potential riders make their own educated decisions about riding it or not.
Sounds like the kind of thrills rides need to start delivering! Maybe the new wave in terror -- create fear by purposefully making the ride seem like it's coming apart or going to crash.
Let's leave the talk abou God out of this. This is solely the case of an individual who has no regard for human life, and for that he does not deserve to live. Lets make justice swift and make it fit the crime. An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. He should be exccuted within one year so we as a society do not support him with our tax dollars and we can move on with our lives and forget him. The opposite burdens our paycheck and it somehow always comes back to remind us that he is still alive, when he does not deserve to live.
I only call for the death penalty when there is NO DOUBT about guilt. When all evidence comes out about this specific case, there will be no doubt. Execute him when the trial is done --- and do not let this linger for ten years either. This will also lessen his "burden" of having to live as a caged animal all his life, so there --- I'm being "considerate" about his "welfare" also...
Peace.
WTF was that? and then after the tirade screaming kill you end with.... peace?
First 'Big Tex' burns and now THIS!!! It's a sign.
no smoking?
How about either fixing the ride..properly or shutting it down..But to let people ride just to make money for the Fair....Oh wait what State fair is ???? Oh yea I get it..Texas well..then there doing things totaly by the book there ..All the pages are the same..made from cash ....never mind about anything besides that...Peoiple health and well being are secondary issues...the money has got to keep rolling in..no matter what...
My heart and prayers goes out to this family experiencing this horrible tragedy. I am grateful most of you are giving wonderful replies to this article, and condolences to the family.
When I was in here earlier there were fools who were writting that it good she wasn't cheating on her husband or that she was and it just ended wrong. Who knows maybe the gas attendent who witnessed her didn't see her but another woman, and she was already murdered.
Here is a family and community who was frantically trying to find her in hopes that she was alive, because she is so well loved. Then to find out she was tragically murdered, who knows how it was done, and then just after the news broke to have strangers make comments like that about someone who was so well loved.
My heart goes out to the family and I hope this monster gets what he so well deserves.
sorry wrong article... =C
These kind of rides scare me to death! No thanks! I would be doin something in my pants stuck up there! Yikes! Hahahaha!
What a dream, being on top of the world longer.
Texas is a huge state with a very diverse population. Many people do possess the ability to apply critical thinking skills. (Btw, sweeping generalizations judging millions of people DON'T typically reflect these skills.)
Ummmm, EVER get a GOOD look at the people that are putting those rides together at state fairs? Not sure what kind of regulations are involved, but it would be my guess that they're not strict enough. As any Piece of "machinery", that's all they are and malfunctions will occur.. If these malfunctions occur at amusement parks where there IS strict regulations, I can only imagine that the odds are greater when these rides are only used 10 days out of the year.. I'll stick to the merry go round least my odds are better should I need to jump off. LOL
Its government work in Texas, can you say "oops."
There will be a large Billboard up in a few days advertising the Lawyers phone number for the people on the ride and the ground to sue someone, anyone. They are on every corner in this state. It was so nice on vacation in New England last month not to see the Lawyer ads all over.