DC Rivals HyperCoaster Strands Riders at Movie World
Riders on the DC Rivals HyperCoaster at Warner Bros Movie World on Australia's Gold Coast became stranded on the ride after it experienced a stoppage. Village Roadshow Theme Parks (VRTP), the operator of Movie World, confirmed the incident, stating that all guests were safe and were being evacuated from designated safe stop zones.
Incident Details Emerge
The DC Rivals HyperCoaster halted on a Wednesday, with temperatures in the area reported to be around 30 degrees Celsius. Riders found themselves positioned at a challenging spot on the track.
Riders were positioned approximately 10 meters off the ground and at a steep angle, near what was described as the apex or a vertical drop section of the track.
Visual evidence posted online, including videos, showed the rollercoaster stationary near the peak of its track. Passengers were observed being shielded from the sun by dark umbrellas while awaiting evacuation. The exact cause of the current stoppage and the number of individuals affected have not been specified by the park.
Evacuation and Safety Assurances
Village Roadshow Theme Parks issued a statement confirming the ride's stoppage and the ongoing evacuation process.
The company emphasized that all guests on board were safe and that evacuation procedures were initiated from designated safe stop zones.
Background: Recurrent Stoppages and Tragic History
This incident marks a second stoppage on the DC Rivals HyperCoaster within recent months. On January 5, 2024, the same ride experienced a halt when a visitor's scarf reportedly became entangled with a wheel, activating its safety systems. All guests involved in that previous incident were also reported safe.
The event also draws historical context to a more tragic incident at another Australian theme park. The Thunder River Rapids ride malfunction at Dreamworld, which occurred on October 25, 2016, resulted in the deaths of four passengers. They either fell from the raft or became trapped near the conveyor mechanism. Two child passengers survived the event without physical injuries. The Thunder River Rapids ride was subsequently closed and demolished.
In 2020, Dreamworld's operator, Ardent Leisure, was fined $3.6 million after pleading guilty to three charges under Work Health and Safety laws related to the 2016 incident. A 2017 coroner's report recommended against criminal charges for any specific individual, and no such charges have been filed.