MOSCOW (Sputnik) – Orlando Eye, a 400-feet (122-meter) tall observation wheel in Orlando, Florida, has suffered from a technical malfunction that left dozens of riders stranded in the capsules of the Ferris wheel, which became operational at the end of April.
"At approximately 3:45 p.m. the operating systems for the Orlando Eye indicated a technical default with the system that monitors the wheel position of the Orlando Eye. As a safety precaution, the attraction is designed to automatically shut down if communication with this system is interrupted," Orlando Eye said in a Friday statement.
In order to bring people down from the wheel, a backup system was used that allowed to move and open the wheel’s capsules manually, according to the statement.
Orlando Eye apologized for the inconvenience the malfunction caused its guests and said it is "now focused on reinstating the systems" and restoring the Ferris wheel’s full operation.
More than 60 people had to be rescued from Orlando Eye, which is the world’s 5th largest Ferris wheel, on Friday, after they were left hanging in the wheel’s capsules for almost three hours, according to RT.
Orlando Eye carried its first passenger on April 29, 2015. The Ferris wheel has 30 closed passenger capsules, each of which can carry up to 15 people. Orlando Eye uses a special, one-of-a-kind stabilizer system that prevents the capsules from swinging around, according its official website.
Orlando Eye is just 43 feet lower than London Eye (Millennium Wheel), the world’s 4th largest Ferris wheel located on the South Bank of the River Thames. The world’s largest Ferris wheel is the Las Vegas High Roller, which is 550-feet (167-meter) tall.
