Seven people had an unusual view of the Calgary Stampede midway for nearly 30 minutes on Saturday evening as the amusement ride they were strapped into broke down.
According to Calgary Stampede officials, the MACH 3 ride stopped in the middle of a ride shortly after 6:00 p.m. Employees of the North American Midway Entertainment (NAME), the ride’s operator, evacuated the seven riders from the MACH 3. The process took roughly 30 minutes.
One of the riders underwent a medical assessment at Stampede Park before being transported by ambulance to hospital as a precautionary measure.
“We certainly were very cautious,” said Warren Connell, Calgary Stampede CEO. “The ride didn’t come to an abrupt halt. In fact, no one was actually injured on the ride. We did have one person who felt like they were fatigued from the heat. Just as a precaution, they were shipped off to hospital. They were not admitted.”
Alberta Elevating Devices Amusement Rides Safety Association (AEDARSA), the body that governs rides, assessed the MACH 3 before clearing it to resume operating.
“If there’s any problem with the rides, they’re actually shut down,” said Connell. “Until AEDARSA comes in and does a full investigation, it’s not allowed to reopen. AEDARSA actually works with NAME so that ride doesn’t move on to another location until it’s certified clear.”
The MACH 3 was closed for the remainder of Saturday and did not reopen to the public until late Sunday afternoon.
