Riders Left Dangling 100 Feet in the Air When N.C. Fair Ride Stops from Low Voltage: 'I Just Started Praying,' Attendee Recalls

Passengers were near dangling 100 feet precocious successful nan aerial aft a fairground thrust malfunctioned successful North Carolina.

On Thursday, Oct. 16, nan Vertigo thrust astatine nan North Carolina State Fair successful Raleigh, N.C., unexpectedly stopped “due to a debased voltage fault," WRAL News reported, citing nan North Carolina Department of Agriculture (NCDA).

The NCDA stated that nan low-voltage responsibility triggered nan thrust to automatically extremity arsenic a precaution arsenic portion of nan information strategy installed connected nan ride.

"The thrust came to a controlled stop, allowing for nan safe and timely manual removal of each patrons," NCDA spokesperson Heather Overton told WRAL News. “At nary constituent was anyone astatine risk.”

The precaution was performed "exactly arsenic intended," added Overton.

Vertigo takes passengers respective feet precocious successful nan air, spinning riders connected swings astatine nan top.

In footage obtained by WRAL News, passengers look tense arsenic they stay stranded astatine nan apical of nan ride, overlooking nan remainder of nan fairground.

"All I could deliberation was ‘we're going to drop,' " rider Hannah Norris told nan outlet. "I conscionable started praying. Me and my son, we conscionable started saying a prayer.”

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The incident occurred aft astir 100 rides were checked connected Thursday by inspectors pinch nan North Carolina Department of Labor (NCDL), earlier nan park’s opening, according to WRAL News.

It is not known really agelong nan guests were stranded earlier nan thrust restarted.

Passengers who were stuck connected Vertigo person been offered a complimentary thrust pursuing nan incident, nan institution that owns nan thrust told WRAL News.

PEOPLE has reached retired to nan North Carolina State Fair, NCDA and NCDL for comment.