Alton Towers visitors left hanging 100ft in the air after The Smiler ride stalls

24 July 2019, 14:27 | Updated: 24 July 2019, 14:39

By Alice Dear

Alton Tower’s Smiler ride stalled last night, leaving visitors stranded in the air.

Around 6pm last night, Alton Towers visitors were left hanging from rollercoaster The Smiler for twenty minutes after it stalled.

The ride failed as the riders headed up a vertical track before a drop, leaving them lent back and facing the sky.

After 20 minutes, engineers reversed the ride back to the start and the riders were freed from their seats.

A 16-year-old boy who was riding the rollercoaster as the time it stalled told The Sun: “I was with my two friends when the ride suddenly stopped as it was going up the vertical part.

“We didn’t know what had happened and we weren’t moving. Two carriages go around the ride at the same time so I was worried that the other one might collide into us.

“But my friend told me the other carriage was at the bottom and it wasn’t coming towards us.”

Dylan continued to explain how his heck and shoulders started hurting after some time in the air because of his harness.

He went on to add: “People were nervous but everyone was trying to keep talking to reassure each other that everything was going to be OK.”

A spokesperson for Alton Towers said of the incident: “We apologise to all guests affected by the stoppage on The Smiler late this afternoon.

"Our guest relations team have spoken to everyone on board to offer return tickets to the park as compensation for the inconvenience.

"Our technical team are working to reset the ride this evening so this should not affect guests visiting the park tomorrow."

The Smiler is the same ride which left five people injured in 2015 after one of the carriages collided with another at 52mph.

Two of the people on the ride had to have their legs amputated.

But what do you think? Should the ride be closed down? Have your say in our poll below: