Fifteen people, including children as young as five years old, were trapped for more than three hours on a mechanical attraction at a theme park on Long Island, New York, after the system failed on Friday night.

The incident occurred in Adventureland, where the Wave Twister attraction stopped, leaving passengers suspended approximately 25 feet high — about 7.5 meters — while emergency teams carried out an operation to evacuate them.

According to the East Farmingdale Volunteer Fire Department, the rescue required specialized procedures due to the conditions at the scene.

“Due to the complexity of the incident, each passenger had to be secured individually and carefully brought to the ground using specialized rescue equipment and aerial devices,” the agency reported.

Authorities received the report shortly before 7:30 pm and the last occupant was rescued at 10:39 pm.

Children cried while waiting for rescue

Among the trapped people was a five-year-old child accompanied by one of his 40-year-old parents, while the rest of the passengers were between eight and twelve years old, according to police information.

One of the affected minors told local media that several children began to cry when they were suspended.

"I calmed some children down. I told them it was okay, that they could hold my hand," he said.

According to the testimony, although some continued to be distressed, the majority managed to calm down with the passage of time.

Photographs of the operation showed rescuers using cranes and harness systems to lower each occupant individually.

The attraction opened just three months ago.

Wave Twister was one of the park's newest additions and had begun operations in March.

The attraction is designed with two structures that move passengers in simultaneous trajectories while rotating on the route.

Adventureland assured that none of the occupants suffered injuries and announced that the ride will remain out of service while the cause of the failure is determined.

"We understand the concern of passengers and their families. We will work with our technical consultants to fully evaluate what happened," said a park spokesperson.

The administration added that Adventureland maintains a six-decade safety record and thanked the work of the emergency services that participated in the rescue.

In addition to the East Farmingdale Fire Department, members of the Suffolk County Police, park personnel and mutual support groups intervened.