THIS is the dramatic moment when families visiting a Hampshire theme park had to be rescued after a brand new roller coaster broke down.

Passengers were marooned more than 40 feet above the ground at Paultons Park, near Ower, after the carriage suddenly stopped at the top of the ride.
The Velociraptor is part of The Lost Kingdom, a £9 million Jurassic Park-style attraction that opened earlier this month.

Park bosses started an investigation to establish the cause of the breakdown, which resulted in 20 adults and teenagers being stranded for about half-an-hour. 

Hampshire Chronicle:

They were rescued by staff, who issued them with safety harnesses before walking them down the ride one by one.

A witness, who asked not to be named, said: “The carriage went to the top of the ride as normal but then there was a hissing sound and the brakes locked on.

“Staff went up to reassure the passengers, then started bringing them down using harnesses attached to the guide rail. Most people stayed calm."
But another visitor to the park said some of those stranded high above the ground started shouting for help.

She said: "I was watching the ride when it suddenly stopped. People were shouting down, saying they wanted to get off.

“There were two boys sitting at the front saying ‘I want to get down’.”
Speaking shortly after the incident Paultons Park marketing manager Rob Griffiths, said: “We can confirm that we had to carry out a well-practised manual evacuation of the Velociraptor ride.

"Our first priority was to ensure all riders were safely removed from the ride and we are now looking into the cause. All other rides at the park are open as normal."

Later a Paultons Park spokesman said the Velociraptor re-opened at 1pm - two hours after the breakdown.

She added: "The ride reversed up the first hill and then stopped. It was a minor fault which was quickly rectified by the park’s engineering team."

None of the visitors caught up in the drama needed medical treatment.

The Lost Kingdom cost £3 million more than Peppa Pig World, which opened at Paultons Park in 2011, and is the biggest single investment in a new attraction ever made by park bosses.

As reported in the Daily Echo, it boasts new rides and the chance to come face to face with walking animatronic dinosaurs.