Two riders sat atop the picturesque Pike ferris wheel in downtown Long Beach last night, enjoying the view and the quiet summer air. It must have been perfect. Until they realized that the machine had stopped moving.
A mechanical failure with the ferris wheel left the young man and woman stranded at the highest point above ground, until the Long Beach Fire Department arrived and was able to safely remove them from the ride.
Firefighters determined with ride operators that there was no way to get the machine working again, so LBFD Truck #7 extended its basket 60 feet above the ground and brought the two people to safety. From the Fire Department blog:
Once Truck 7 arrived on scene the Engineer carefully drove up a curb and over a sidewalk to a grassy area directly beneath the Ferris wheel, and extended the ladder approximately 60 feet above ground level. Raising the ladder proved to be quit a challenge due to having to move the basket into perfect position to provide for a safe transfer, and to ensure that no damage was done to the Ferris wheel. With the skillful operation of the ladder completed by two firefighters from inside the basket, the rescue of the trapped occupants was accomplished.