The Big One at Blackpool Pleasure Beach had to be closed for the day on Tuesday after a change in weather conditions caused it to grind to a halt with passengers having to evacuate.
Britain’s biggest rollercoaster ‘broke down’ leaving petrified riders to walk down the steep slope.
The Big One at Blackpool’s Pleasure Beach ground to a halt on Tuesday (April 11) at around 2.50pm when weather conditions suddenly changed.
Passengers were guided by staff to safety and once they were back down the lift hill the iconic ride was closed for the remainder of the day due to high winds.
A photo taken by an onlooker shows a line of people making their way down the narrow steps which run alongside the track.
A spokesperson for Blackpool Pleasure Beach said: “At 2.50pm on Tuesday 11th April, Blackpool Pleasure Beach stopped the Big One train on the ride’s lift hill due to sudden changes in weather conditions.
“Guests on the ride were reassured and escorted from the ride by Blackpool Pleasure Beach staff. Due to high gusts of wind the Big One rollercoaster closed for the remainder of the day.”
The Big One – formerly known as the Pepsi Max Big One – is 235ft high and first opened to the public in 1994.
In May last year it broke down for around 20 minutes, with drone footage showing staff climbing the steps of the lift hill to reassure passengers.
The ride was then able to restart and came back down to the station.
When it was first constructed, the ride was the tallest and steepest in the world, with a drop angle of 65 degrees.
It held that title until 1996 when Fujiyama opened in Japan.
The Big One cost £12 million to build and was sponsored by Pepsi until 2011.
It comes as the UK has been battered by high winds this week.
[The Mirror – original article]
[Picture – The Mirror / Daily Mail]
