It is a red flag for a theme park.
Thrill seekers at Six Flags America were in for quite the ride over the weekend: Thirty-two people got stuck on the SteamWhirler ride on the Bowie, Maryland park for greater than an hour because of a mechanical malfunction on Saturday.
One passenger called 911 after the ride unexpectedly stopped midway, stranding parkgoers on the tracks.
Emergency crews from Prince George’s County Fire and EMS (PGFD) were dispatched to the amusement park and arrived at 3:25 p.m. to help within the rescue operation.
All riders were safely evacuated, evaluated on the scene, and cleared by EMS personnel.
The SteamWhirler, described by the park as a “moderate thrill” attraction, features 4 rotating arms, each carrying as much as eight passengers, and has been a well-liked draw since its 2024 debut.
On Saturday, nevertheless, the ride wasn’t a fan favorite when it abruptly halted mid-cycle.
Six Flags America confirmed in a press release to People that the SteamWhirler “didn’t complete its typical cycle and paused before returning to the bottom.” The park emphasized that every one guests were safely unloaded without injury, and that safety stays “a cornerstone” of its operations.
Though PGFD assisted with evaluations throughout the hot August afternoon, Six Flags clarified that park staff handled the actual unloading. “Our team is trained for these kinds of situations,” a spokesperson said.
Nonetheless, while on-site, EMS personnel assisted a separate guest who experienced a medical emergency unrelated to the ride incident. That individual was transported to a hospital with injuries described as serious but not life-threatening.
The ride will remain closed pending a full inspection.
The incident comes as Six Flags America nears the top of its nearly 50-year run. The park is scheduled to shut permanently on November 2, after 51 years of operation — 26 of those under the Six Flags name — because of financial reasons.
“D-mn. They will’t even exit with a bang with a lil good publicity shut that joint down tonight,” someone wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
“You may f-ck around and be on final destination lol,” one other commented.
“Yikes, getting stuck on a ride for an hour appears like a nightmare,” another person chimed in.
Saturday’s incident adds to a growing list of operational issues reported across amusement parks nationwide, reigniting conversations about ride safety because the summer season continues.
Just this summer, riders were stuck the wrong way up for 10 minutes on ‘North America’s tallest, longest and fastest tilt coaster’ on opening day, Cedar Point’s ‘Siren’s Curse’ rollercoaster broke down for the 4th time since opening, forcing riders to scale down 160-foot tall curve, and an amusement park ride snapped in half, injuring greater than 20 — simply to name just a few incidents.
