Around 150 people were left stranded on an observation wheel in Las Vegas for nearly two hours after a technical issue caused it to stop rotating.
The incident occurred at the High Roller Observation Wheel, which is described as the largest in North America, on Friday, September 17.
A number of people have described how they felt being stuck in the attraction. Images and videos from inside the wheel's cabins were posted onto social media.
"I noticed it was tilting cause I was sitting down, and it started leaning forward, and I turned and looked [at my friend] and said—I don't think this is normal," Rosa Martinez told KLAS.
Martinez's friend, Martha Tellez, who was stuck with around 15 others, added: "We were hanging on to the ledge, and I let go and slid to the bottom.
"Half of them were freaking out – and half of them were having a good time in there and drinking."
Guess who’s stuck at the top of the High Roller! Just press the button again! pic.twitter.com/iTwznRQdfU
— Iván Gonzalez 🚶🏻🏄🏻📚🧳🌪️ (@igonzalezisu) September 18, 2021
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A spokesperson for Caesar's Entertainment later confirmed everyone inside the cabins was eventually safely freed.
"The High Roller Observation Wheel was stopped during its rotation on Friday night due to a network connectivity issue involving one of the cabins. Approximately 150 passengers were aboard the wheel at the time," the statement added, via KSNV.
"Engineers resolved the network issue within approximately 90 minutes, the wheel's rotation resumed, and all passengers safely disembarked and received refunds."
As of next month, the High Roller Observation Wheel will no longer be the tallest ferris wheel in the word when the 250-meter (820-foot) high Ain Dubai opens in the United Arab Emirates city.
The Ain Dubai is 82 meters higher than the High Roller observation wheel and is set to open on October 21 after more than six years of development, CNN reported.
The 11,200-ton structure, which will take around 38 minutes to complete its cycle, has been specifically designed to withstand any potential earthquake in the country and major storms with winds of up to 100 miles per hour.
A spokesperson for Ain Dubai added: "What we've designed and developed here is hugely complex—it has never been done before, to this scale, so a lot of what we did was breaking new ground.
"This of course means that along the way, things don't always go to plan. We hit challenges but as is the Dubai spirit, we adapted, we found solutions and we are confident that what we are delivering with Ain Dubai eclipses anything that has come before it."
