Twenty-three visitors to the Hamburger Dom funfair in Hamburg became trapped for over two hours on the Nordic Tower, a popular carousel-style ride that reaches heights of up to 80 metres. Instead of enjoying a few spins high above the ground before returning safely, the ride suddenly halted at a height of 25 metres, leaving those on board stuck in mid-air.
According to eyewitnesses, a loud noise was heard before the ride came to a halt, and initial reports suggest a faulty brake caused the chain mechanism to fail. Emergency services were alerted at approximately 10.20pm.
A total of 45 rescue workers were dispatched to the scene, including firefighters with specialised high-altitude training. Working alongside the ride operator, rescue teams accessed the ride’s tower from inside to reach and reassure those stranded, distributing warm blankets as a precaution.
Fortunately, nobody required medical attention. After roughly 90 minutes, technicians resolved the issue, enabling the 23 passengers to return safely to the ground in their seats. An independent technical inspection association has now been tasked with investigating the cause of the malfunction.
