Loose scarf blamed for rollercoaster mishap that trapped riders

Visitors to Movie World amusement park in Australia were stuck on one of the tallest roller-coasters in the world after a loose scarf became entangled around the train wheel.

Reaching speeds of up to 71mph, the DC Rivals HyperCoaster is the tallest, longest and fastest rollercoaster in the Southern Hemisphere.

In a statement, Warner Bros Movie World said highly-trained ride operators used their control system to safely stop the ride on the lift hill as a precaution about 3 pm Queensland time.

“The ride operator and the ride’s safety systems have done what they are trained and designed to do, and all the guests on-board are safe with the ride vehicle stopped in a designated zone,” the statement read.

“Our team are in the process of exiting these guests down the lift hill, which is a process we regularly train for and simply requires the guests to walk down the stairs to the load station.

“Due to the height of the lift hill, we will provide a harness for the guests.”

The ride will be operational again after the scarf is removed.

“We understand ride stoppages can be frustrating for guests and it is for reasons such as these why loose items are not permitted to be taken on-board rides and attractions,” the statement read.

“We encourage guests to follow all instructions of our operators.”

The last of the passengers reached the ground about 6 pm local time.