[cwgator]

I guess this may be the first time it's happened this season. Even though it was only for about 20 minutes, I'm sure the news media will help blow this out of proportion.

Thrillseekers stuck on Windseeker

A viewer sent Channel 9 after he said he noticed a ride stop, leaving people stuck in mid-air.

The WindSeeker is a swing ride that Carowinds’ website touts as being the tallest ride built at the park.

A park official said the ride stopped at 2:45 p.m. for less than 15 minutes. The official said the ride stops as a safety mechanism when it detects something is wrong.

Park officials do not know what caused the ride to get stuck.

Eyewitness News reporter Alexa Ashwell spoke to the witness who snapped the photos.

Raul Liberto said the ride had gone up about three-quarters of the way Saturday afternoon when it suddenly stopped. He said he could see riders on-board swinging their legs and could hear some faint screams.
This is not the first time the WindSeeker has experienced problems. A couple of years ago a viewer showed cellphone video a man took while being stuck on the ride for an hour.

The WindSeeker also broke down the summer before that, prompting an internal review into the safety of the ride nationwide.

“I was scared for those people just hanging up there, swinging. I’m just glad it wasn’t me,” Liberto said.

He did not believe anyone was injured.

Riders were stranded on children’s ride The Flying Ace Aerial Chase last weekend. State inspectors checked the ride Monday and did not find any problems.

[tarheel1231]

*Sigh*

[intaminboy]

Biggest ride in the park? This is so over exaggerated it's funny.

[FamousAmos]

If it's too windy and the seats swing too much, the ride will automatically shut down as a safety measure. That's why it wasn't open last Friday, because it was too windy. I know that that's one reason why these stop sometimes, but then again, maybe this time it was because of something else. (I have no idea how windy it was today)

[cwgator]

The comments on the WSOC-TV Facebook post are hilarious. Less people I have to worry about in line when I come. Then again most of those people probably aren't the ones who would be going anyway.

[dianals]

It's only "news" because some nitwit saw it stuck, and contacted the news station to get his 15 second of fame by seeing his name in the paper.

You're right, though, those comments are hilarious. Someone said the people should sue Carowinds. For what??? They don't realize that this happens every day, at every park...it just doesn't make the news because it isn't news-worthy.

[Axel]

Besides breaking down quite often at virtually every CF park that has one, they are way more boring than the Six Flags SkyScreamers... oh well... a non-coaster ride to really look forward to when I visit Six Flags parks.

[RollerBee]

Eh, probably about the only Windseeker is exciting. Other than being a capacity eater, I don't care for the ride.

[chknwing]

I think its time to take these out of the CF parks. They were relatively cheap so CF wouldn't be taking a huge loss.

[Merthecat]

^ I seriously don't see that happening anytime soon. You wouldn't build a 300-foot tall ride (with marketing as it's being the tallest in the park, in some cases) only to tear it down a few years later. The GP would go nuts, saying that if they had to remove this one ride, who knows how safe the others at that park are?

[chknwing]

^ I seriously don't see that happening anytime soon. You wouldn't build a 300-foot tall ride (with marketing as it's being the tallest in the park, in some cases) only to tear it down a few years later. The GP would go nuts, saying that if they had to remove this one ride, who knows how safe the others at that park are?

understood, on the other hand, bad publicity from windseeker could destroy everything cedar fair looked to gain from investing in the park.

[chargercrazy]

I think its time to take these out of the CF parks. They were relatively cheap so CF wouldn't be taking a huge loss.

Define "relatively cheap." The lighting package alone on that thing costs over a million dollars.

[RollerBee]

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=FUK2X6XSqyo
Windseeker's future hopefully!

[cameronmbrown1]

^^^Yeah I agree but think, it keeps 64 people out of the lines for the more fun rides, so less wait time for us.

[chknwing]

^^^Yeah I agree but think, it keeps 64 people out of the lines for the more fun rides, so less wait time for us.

out of the lines for about an hour 300 feet above the ground.