A day of summer fun took a perilous turn on Sunday, when a rollercoaster at the Forest County Festival in Crandon, Wisconsin malfunctioned mid-ride.

Eight passengers were left suspended in mid-air, upside down, for several tense hours, due to a mechanical failure on the oscillating ‘Fireball’ ride.

As the ride was descending from its vertical loop, it abruptly halted, leaving its riders trapped in a precarious position. Emergency services were alerted to the unfolding crisis.

However, the rescue operation proved challenging, due to the ride’s height and the passengers’ inverted position.

Special equipment, including three ladder trucks, was required to execute the rescue, necessitating assistance from surrounding towns. A truck equipped with the ability to reach heights of over 100 feet took around 45 minutes to reach the scene.

The rescue operation was particularly intricate because of the ride’s safety equipment release mechanism.

According to the fire department, “all individuals in a car needed to be properly secured prior to the release of safety equipment.” This requirement further complicated the operation, demanding meticulous execution to ensure the safety of all individuals involved.

The scale and complexity of the rescue meant the first passenger was not returned to solid ground until roughly two hours after the initial malfunction. By 3:20 p.m. CT, the first passenger was finally free from the beleaguered rollercoaster.

Yet, the operation was far from over. It took another hour and 40 minutes for all remaining passengers to be carefully extracted from the perilous ride and returned safely to the ground.