Riders experience ``Acrophobia'' longer than expected

ATLANTA - About 30 people were stuck at a height of 200 feet Tuesday afternoon on a drop ride when Six Flags over Georgia experienced a power failure, an amusement park official said. <br> <br> Riders on the Acrophobia, a free fall ride, were stuck in the air with their legs dangling for more than an hour. There were no injuries. <br> <br> Safety mechanisms operated properly and the stranded patrons were held in a stable position until the ride could be manually lowered, park general manager John Odum said in a statement. <br> <br> The cause of the power failure was being investigated. ``We regret the inconvenience that this rare event caused our guests,&#39;&#39; Odum said. <br> <br> Acrophobia consists of a ring that rotates once completely around the center as it climbs 200 feet. Riders freefall 161 feet before coming to a magnetically controlled smooth stop. <br> <br> Patrons leaving Six Flags said the park had experienced power failures throughout the day. Many said Six Flags had offered them passes for another day. <br> <br> ``People were just more angry than scared,&#39;&#39; said Ray Hutto of Columbus, Ga. <br> <br> With the rides shut down, hundreds of people poured out of the park. Lorin Jones, 18, of Chattanooga, said he and his friends were stranded for about 10 minutes on a roller coaster when the power failed. <br> <br> ``We were going to wait around to see if they started the rides up, but now it looks like they&#39;re not,&#39;&#39; he said. However, the rides started up again a few minutes later, and Odum said normal operations had resumed. <br> <br> Paige Beauregard of Ormond Beach, Fla., said her family waited an hour for one ride, got to the front of the line, ``and then we sat there for another hour. <br> <br> ``I&#39;ll come back. But I don&#39;t think I&#39;d ride it again today,&#39;&#39; she said. <br> <br> One patron, Marie Curtis of LaGrange, found a bright side. ``Nothing was working for us to get stuck on,&#39;&#39; she said.

http://accesswdun.com/article/2002/6/193444