Terrifying moment Winter Wonderland slingshot ride malfunctions with people trapped inside

The two people on the ride were safely escorted off

Two visitors to Winter Wonderland in London had a terrifying experience after the slingshot ride they were on malfunctioned.

The seating pod on the fairground ride at the popular Christmas attraction in London crashed into the support beam and left two people, both believed to be male, stuck inside.

Usually, the ride uses elastic bungees to launch the pod straight into the air like a slingshot. But a shocking video shows the moment the ride went horribly wrong on Wednesday night.

The remaining band recoiled to the side and sent the pod crashing into one of the ride's support beams, leaving the pod hanging on its side with the riders suspended in mid-air.

In footage shared online by AlbyLad, bystanders could be heard gasping in horror at what had just happened. https://twitter.com/AlbyLad_/status/1603182368419987458 Several voiced their shock at the footage.

One person said: "You will NEVER catch me on one of these."

Another added: "OMG I thought you meant snapped as in it was amazing not as in LITERALLY."

A third wrote: "I went the other day and this is all I could imagine."

Another video posted to TikTok shows staff at the popular attraction in Hyde Park trying to move people away from the ride following the incident.

@beckyellen1989 #winterwonderland #ridebroken #brokedown #hydeparkwinterwonderland #hydepark #ohno #ohnono #stuck #cold #freezing #london #londontown #slingshot #slingshotchallenge #fyp #fypシ #foryoupage ♬ Oh No Oh No Oh No No No - shyari_hindi_11

A spokesperson for Winter Wonderland told JOE: “We can confirm that a technical issue involving the reverse bungee occurred on Wednesday evening. Both riders were safely escorted off the ride, checked by our on-site medics and were not injured.

"Safety is our highest priority and the ride is closed while further investigation takes place. All of our rides undergo rigorous and regular safety checks by experienced members of staff trained in health and safety. We also provide regular training for all staff to ensure our visitors can enjoy a fun and safe experience.

"All other attractions at Winter Wonderland are operating as normal.”

In a statement, the Amusement Device Inspection Procedures Scheme said: "We can confirm that the elastic cord and the steel wire rope supporting the Reverse Bungee gondola in which the public sit has not snapped or failed in any way.

"We inspected the ride at 7am this morning and it was found that a technical issue had occurred within a sealed gearbox that controls the release of the elastic cord and steel wire rope."

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