The Youtube video above shows people walking slowly off the roller coaster.
CNN
(CNN) — Riders on a New York roller coaster took the long way down Sunday after Coney Island’s historic Cyclone got stuck in its track on opening day.
No one was injured in the mishap, which occurred about noon during the first run because of an “isolated mechanical issue,” a Luna Park spokeswoman said.
The park’s operations team helped each passenger down “one by one,” and the ride was closed the rest of the day for repairs, spokeswoman Erica Hoffman said.
“Safety is the number one priority for our guests here at Luna Park,” Hoffman said. “Nobody was injured, and those on the ride were safely evacuated and will be able to come ride again for free when it is open again.”
Images and videos shared on social media showed people slowly walking down the 88-year-old wooden roller coaster.
“That thing was the scariest thing I ever did,” 24-year-old David Zubin told amNY of the walk down. “The bricks, walking down, looked like it was going to break when you stepped on it.”
Steven Hernandez was waiting in line when the coaster got stuck. He and others watched in suspense, taking photos and video on their smartphones, as riders carefully climbed down stairs alongside the track.
The 22-year-old from Brooklyn said he shows up for opening day at Luna Park every year. He heads straight to the Cyclone to be among the first 100 people who get to ride for free, he said.
“People were trying to figure out why the Cyclone got stuck at the top,” he said. “I go there every year, (and) that never happened.”
The Cyclone opened on June 26, 1927, during Coney Island’s heyday as one of country’s largest recreation areas. With more than 2,640 feet of track featuring 12 drops and 27 elevation changes, the Cyclone was long considered the standard against which “compact wooden twisters” were measured.
An official New York City Landmark since July 12, 1988, Cyclone was listed in the New York State Register of Historic Places on June 31, 1991, according to NYC.com. Its status help preserve its spot in Coney Island after the Astroland amusement park closed in 2008 and reopened as Luna Park in 2009.
Hernandez received a complimentary ticket for his next ride after the park operators closed the ride for repairs. He looks forward to using it; the incident won’t deter him from returning to the Cyclone, he said.
“I’ve been riding that ride since I was 14,” he said. “I love it.”
CNN’s David Shortell contributed to this report.
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