Sea World rollercoaster malfunctions for third time in a month

The Storm Coaster ride at Gold Coast theme park Sea World has broke down for the third time in four weeks yesterday (Sunday 7th June), leaving visitors stranded more than 10 metres in the air.

The rollercoaster stopped in the middle of a ride with 15 occupants on board in the middle of the day.

According to a report in the Gold Coast Bulletin, witnesses said those on board were on the rails for about half an hour before staff directed them down a spiral flight of emergency stairs.

A Sea World spokesperson said the evacuation was triggered by an unknown fault in the ride.

The spokesperson said the ride was designed to stop at the next available platform when a fault occurred.

He stated “all roller-coasters have safety systems that are designed to stop at evacuation points.

“It’s part and parcel with operating theme park attractions. It happens around the world.”

No one was injured and the roller-coaster was reset within 30 minutes.

The Storm Coaster malfunctioned twice in an hour last month and 30 people were taken off the ride in those two separate incidents.

Village Roadshow Theme Parks invested $20 million in the Storm Coaster (a Mack Rides Water Coaster) prior to its opening in December 2013, the largest single investment in a theme park ride in Australia at that time.

A combination water flume boat ride and roller coaster, it has been dubbed "one of the most sophisticated and technologically advanced amusement rides ever seen in Australia."

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