Ocean City ride malfunction leaves passengers suspended upside down

Thirteen-year-old girls Charlotte Hacker and Emilia Gordon were among more than a dozen passengers left suspended upside down following a malfunction on the Wipe Out ride at Playland’s Castaway Cove in Ocean City, New Jersey.

The incident occurred in early July during a birthday outing. The Wipe Out, a pendulum-style attraction that rotates and flips riders, came to an unexplained halt while the passengers were hanging midair. The girls described the experience as terrifying, noting that they felt blood rushing to their heads and feared the lap bars might open.

Operators eventually managed to restart the ride, though the girls reported that the ride continued to operate after the stoppage and they were not released from their seats for several minutes after it finished. The cause of the malfunction remains unclear, and there have been no official reports regarding injuries.