Overview
- The Wipeout at Pleasurewood Hills stalled with 27 people about 15 metres above the track on Monday and riders remained suspended for roughly two to three hours before rescue began.
- Suffolk Fire & Rescue Service used an aerial ladder, a scissor lift and other specialist at-height kit to bring everyone down safely with no reported injuries and crews finished the operation in the afternoon.
- Multiple passengers described a staff-initiated manual release that sent the carriage backward through the loops before it stopped but that account has not been independently verified by the park or regulators.
- Wipeout is the park’s flagship Vekoma Boomerang coaster, more than 130ft tall and the only one of its type in the UK, which underwent a reported £1 million refurbishment in winter 2024–25 including a new train and lap restraints.
- Families at the park described traumatic scenes and shaken children, and the operator and safety authorities are expected to review the ride’s recent work and operational procedures with further statements pending.