Attendees at a significant music festival faced a alarming incident when a popular amusement attraction abruptly ceased operation, resulting in multiple individuals being suspended inverted in the air.
The event occurred in the early hours of Thursday at Boardmasters, a yearly surf and music festival. As per footage recorded by attendees and a declaration from the festival’s organizers, the Apollo 13 attraction experienced a temporary power malfunction around 1 a.m.
Onlooker video footage disseminated on TikTok depicted passengers hanging aloft, unable to budge for approximately 20 minutes.
A TikTok user who captured the incident described it as “crazy,” whereas another made light of the possibility of wind gusts moving the ride during its stoppage.
A different user, who stated they were on the attraction, commented that “it was simply frigid.”
The Apollo 13 ride, which tours various festivals and fairs throughout the UK, derives its name from when an oxygen tank within the spacecraft’s Service Module ruptured.
It features a spinning arm and accommodates up to eight individuals, four at each extremity, propelling passengers up to 180 feet skyward. During the operational failure, as many as four individuals were reportedly trapped in an upside-down stance.
Notwithstanding the striking imagery, the event’s organizers assert that safety measures functioned precisely as designed.
“As a protective measure, the attraction automatically stopped with passengers on board,” a Boardmasters representative stated in a declaration to Digital. “The ride attendant promptly reacted and securely helped all patrons exit the attraction within 20 minutes.”
“At no time were patrons at risk,” the statement further noted. “The attraction has since undergone a comprehensive safety inspection and has recommenced normal operation.”
The Apollo 13 attraction commenced operations in 2024, and its managers frequently share updates and internal maintenance procedures on its platform. An April post detailed the stringent evaluations conducted prior to each event, encompassing gear examinations, illumination repairs, and lubrication of hinge points.
The four-day festival is scheduled to conclude on Sunday, August 10.