I was left hanging 50ft in the air with my young daughters for HOURS after rollercoaster malfunctioned at UK theme park

A MUM has told of her terrifying ordeal after she was left hanging 50ft in the air with her young daughters when a rollercoaster malfunctioned. Stacey Stewart, 31, was one of 27 people stranded on the ride for more than two hours at a Suffolk Theme Park. The rollercoaster was left in the air for more than two hours Credit: PA Stacey Stewart told The Sun that the ride initially stopped mid-climb Credit: Stacey Stewart The mum had been enjoying Bank Holiday Monday with her daughters Poppy, eight, and Marnie, seven, at Pleasurewood Hills in Lowestoft. They decided to ride the high-speed Wipeout rollercoaster, but thrill quickly turned to terror when the ride broke down. Sign up for The Sun newsletter Thank you! Stacey told The Sun that the ride initially ground to a halt mid-climb and was stationary for 10 minutes. They were then informed that staff were going to trigger the emergency release. Stacey with her four daughters and her partner Joseph Bowman Credit: Stacey Stewart Firefighters rescuing 27 people stuck on a rollercoaster at Pleasurewood Hills in Lowestoft Credit: PA Stacey said she understands the brakes did not catch the carriage at the bottom of the ride and they were hurled through a loop backwards. The carriage then went back and forth through a second loop before stopping halfway leaving the thrill seekers suspended upside down . The mum from Ipswich said: “that was the worst bit”. They then came to a stop on another section where they remained for around two and a half hours until fire crews rescued them with cherry pickers. Most read in The Sun Stacey said: “My kids were crying, my oldest was actually in front of me on her own, so that was not nice. Obviously I couldn’t see her, she was getting upset.” She added: “I had my seven year old, and she was crying”. Stacey said her family had visited the theme park just a few months earlier and that Poppy was excited to go on the ride with her mum. She said: “I’m hoping it hasn’t scared the kids enough to not ever go on roller coasters, but I don’t think I’ll be going on one anytime soon.” She added: “it was my first time going on [the ride] and it’ll be the last time going on it”. Stacey said her seven-year-old daughter was in tears after the incident Credit: PA Firefighters used cherry pickers to rescue the people on the ride Credit: Stacey Stewart When the family were finally back on solid ground, Poppy was rewarded with a free ice cream for her ordeal Stacey said. She also added it was “horrible” for her partner Joseph Bowman to watch on with the couple’s two youngest daughters, 10-month-old Raya and three-year-old Isla. “I could see him and my babies down there,” Stacey told the Daily Mail. Another of those left stranded mid-air was 13-year-old Honey Purkiss, while her mother Karen looked on helplessly. Honey said she saw a man with a metal bar at the top of the stairs and watched him put the bar into the ride and release the carriage. The teen added: “As it started going down, he looked completely fine. “But when it went past the point where it was supposed to stop, his face changed. It is believed the ride stopped while changing direction Credit: Facebook/SuffolkFRS Pleasurewood Hills Theme Leisure Park at Gunton near Lowestoft,Suffolk Credit: Alamy “It dropped, and he looked absolutely horrified. Everyone was panicking, we initially thought they had lied to calm us down.” Karen Purkiss, 47, continued: “It was terrifying to watch my daughter when they were moving slowly and upside down. It wasn’t nice at all.” Wipeout malfunctioned at around 1.30pm on Monday and passengers were stuck until just after 4pm when Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service rescued them. Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service previously said 27 people were left suspended in the air for several hours and crews from three stations were on the scene. A spokesman said: “The carriages, which came to a stop on the track, are approximately 15 metres in the air, but not upside down. “Crews will be using advanced rescue at height equipment to bring down the ride passengers.” Wipeout is a high-speed rollercoaster featuring twists, turns, a loop and two cobra rolls, before stopping and reversing along the same track. The surfing-themed ride opened at Pleasurewood Hills in 2007. It towers more than 130ft high and underwent a £1 million transformation during the end of 2024. Wipeout is the only remaining Vekoma Boomerang in the UK, which the park says makes it “a truly unique experience”. Pleasurewood Hills describes Wipeout on its website as the “ultimate adrenaline rush”. A spokesperson for the park said this was the first incident of its kind on Wipeout. They added: “The train became stopped at height on the Cobra Roll section of the ride. “The safety and wellbeing of our guests is always our highest priority, with Norfolk and Suffolk Emergency Services attending the park to work alongside our Maintenance Team to safely evacuate all the riders in line with our evacuation procedures. “The situation was dealt with promptly, and most importantly, all guests were safely evacuated from the ride. “We would like to say a huge thank you to every rider and their families who were involved for their understanding and patience while the situation was resolved. We appreciate that being stuck on a ride at height is not something anyone expects when visiting us, and we are incredibly grateful for the way you handled it. “To everyone else visiting the park today who was not involved in the incident, thank you for your understanding too, and we sincerely apologise for any inconvenience this may have caused to your day. “For the inconvenience, all guests on the park today will receive a complimentary revisit to the park, valid until summer 2027. You don’t need to do anything; we will reach out to you via email. “Thank you again to everyone involved, and especially our maintenance team and the Emergency Services for their assistance today.” Comment now