Record-holder roller coaster stops mid-air at Ohio amusement park, visitors walk down

Visitors at an amusement park in Ohio state of the US had to walk down a roller coaster that is over 200 feet tall after the ride stopped mid-air due to a mechanical issues, according to media reports. The incident took place on Monday.

Tony Clark, director of communications for Cedar Point, told Fox Digital that the evacuation was necessitated because of a “standard ride stoppage”.

Clark added that it was a “check engine light” situation and that the ride could not be restarted immediately.

According to Cedar Point amusement park, the roller coaster, Magnum XL-200, was the “Guinness Book of World Records holder for its leading edge height”, and once had the distinction of being the “fastest’ and “steepest” complete-circuit coaster in the world. Its actual height is 205 feet.

According to Cedar Point’s website, the Magnum XL-200 roller coaster opened back in 1989 and was “the fastest and steepest complete-circuit coaster in the world” at the time. The ride can reach the speed of 72 mph and takes thrill-seekers over hills and through tunnels. It also offers views of the Lake Erie shoreline and, on a clear day, visitors can also see the coast of Canada from atop the roller coaster.

In September last year, Cedar Point announced that it was permanently closing one of its rides, Top Thrill Dragster, after a small metal piece flew off the 420-foot ride and hit a woman in her head. The ride had remained shut down since the incident which took place in August 2021, reported CBS News.

This month, Cedar Point unveiled another roller coaster, Top Thrill 2, which is taller and faster than its Magnum XL-200. Top Thrill, which will open in 2024, has been described by the amusement park as “the world’s tallest and fastest triple-launch strata coaster”. The ride has a height of 420 ft and can attain a speed of 120 mph.

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