Oklahoma fire crews remove riders on stuck roller coaster

OKLAHOMA CITY, Oklahoma -- Firefighters rescued 19 people from a roller coaster that got stuck on the tracks Thursday at an Oklahoma City amusement park.

The last person was removed from the Silver Bullet coaster shortly after 1 p.m. and no one was injured, Fire Lt. Ray Lujan said. The roller coaster cars became stuck about 11:30 a.m. atop a peak on the ride's track.

Lujan said it isn't clear how high off the ground the riders were, but that the track is 83 feet tall at its highest point.

Crews with expertise in tying knots and difficult angles helped remove the riders, he said. They were slowly helped to a high, narrow walk to get down from the coaster.

"When you're dealing with unusual circumstances like this, safety is always paramount - our safety and the other people's safety," Lujan said.

Winds were blowing about 15 mph during the rescue. Live television coverage showed flags attached to the coaster tracks whipping in the wind and some riders waving at TV cameras.

Frontier City amusement park said in a statement that it and the Oklahoma Department of Labor are investigating the incident.

"The Silver Bullet's safety system reacted exactly as it was designed to do in the event that a full cycle cannot take place," the statement said. "The safety of our guests is our highest priority and the ride will be closed until the investigation is complete."