16 Riders Rescued After Adventureland Attraction Stalls for Three Hours

Sixteen people, including 15 children and one adult, were rescued Friday evening after the Wave Twister ride at Adventureland amusement park in East Farmingdale malfunctioned and left riders stranded for roughly three hours, Suffolk County police said. Suffolk County Police First Precinct officers responded at 7:25 p.m. to a 911 call reporting people stuck on the ride at the park, located at 2245 Broadhollow Road. Suffolk County Emergency Services Unit officers and multiple fire departments worked to safely remove all 16 riders from the attraction, police said. The last person was removed at 10:39 p.m., approximately three hours after the ride stopped working, police said. Among those stranded were a 5-year-old child accompanied by a 40-year-old parent; the remaining children ranged in age from 8 to 12 years old, police said. No injuries were reported.

Adventureland released a statement on social media the following day addressing the incident. "For more than 60 years, Adventureland has enjoyed a proud record of safety and guest satisfaction," the park said. "We understand the concern of the riders and their families who were involved yesterday, and we will be working with our ride consultants to fully assess what happened. Until further review, that ride will not be in service. We appreciate the dedication of the many first responder departments who skillfully assisted in getting our guests off the ride."

The cause of the malfunction was not immediately disclosed by park or police officials. CBS New York reported that more than a dozen children were on the Wave Twister when it got stuck.