Cancun, Q.R. — Firemen were called to the Rueda de la Fortuna Ferris wheel in the Cancun Hotel Zone when the ride stopped rotating. An internal power failure caused the Ferris wheel to suddenly stop, leaving riders trapped inside the cars.
The incident happened Monday evening around 7:30 p.m. at Plaza La Isla in the Cancun Hotel Zone. Several firemen, along with police and Civil Protection personnel, responded to the request for assistance, arriving to manually rotate the Ferris wheel cars to the ground where those inside were able to get out.
The Rueda de la Fortuna or Sky Wheel Cancun, is 70 meters (230 feet) tall with room for six occupants per car.
Authorities did not say how many cars were occupied or how many people were removed from the ride during the rescue operation. Once on scene and emergency maneuvers were in place, it took firemen approximately 15 minutes to manually rotate the wheel to lower the occupied cars to the ground.
Regarding the Monday night incident, Bomberos Cancun (the Cancun Fire Department) said “we immediately activated security and response protocols with the intervention of Cancun Firefighters, Cancun Civil Protection, and rescuers following the incident at the Ferris wheel at a shopping plaza in the hotel zone.
“Thanks to the prompt coordination of emergency teams, timely work was carried out to safeguard the safety of those present at the scene. We reiterate our commitment to the safety of Cancun residents. Everyone at the scene is safe.”
Cancun Mayor Ana Paty Peralta also made a brief statement saying “regarding the incident at the Ferris wheel at Plaza La Isla, everyone has been rescued. Thanks to the rapid coordination of Cancun Civil Protection, the Tourist Police, the Cancun Fire Department, and ERUM, the situation was immediately addressed.”
There were no injuries reported. Cancun Civil Protection have not confirmed a cause for the ride’s sudden power failure that left riders trapped inside the cars.
