Parents in China stop roller coaster in mid-air to get daughter off ride

A roller coaster was stopped in its tracks mid-air on Monday (Feb 6) in Guangxi, China, after a girl's parents requested for help to get her off the ride.

The 14-year-old sneaked onto the ride without their permission on Monday (Feb 6), Chinese media reported.

The theme park operator said it decided to comply with the parents' request after assessing that conditions were safe for the riders.

Before it came to an abrupt halt, the roller coaster train had been climbing up so it could make a descent.

Staff then escorted the teen down the ride and evacuated other passengers from the roller coaster.

According to Shanghaiist, the ride was disrupted for about 20 minutes before resuming normal operation.

The theme park operator also said that the girl had met the minimum height requirement of 1.4m for the roller coaster ride.

When photos of the incident first circulated on the Internet, there were speculations of a power outage or ride malfunction, ET Today reported.

But as the reason for the disruption was revealed, netizens had mixed reactions, with some questioning the parents' attentiveness to their child, and others saying that they had compromised the safety of everyone on the ride.

Perhaps the girl's parents have grown wary of such thrilling rides, as a 13-year-old girl was killed last Friday (Feb 3) during a swing ride in a theme park in Chongqing.

The teen slipped from her seat and was flung to the ground when the ride turned upside down.

Investigations showed that her seat belt had broken and the safety bar did not fit her tightly enough.

The deceased's family will receive 870,000 yuan ($179,000) in compensation, Sina News reported.

minlee@sph.com.sg