Last week, thousands of concertgoers descended on Newquay, Cornwall, England, for the Boardmasters music festival. First held in 1981, this year’s five-day event featured performances from artists like Nelly Furtado, Raye, and The Prodigy. Unfortunately, some festivalgoers got more than they bargained for when a popular ride malfunctioned.
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Boardmasters Music Festival Ride Leaves Multiple Stranded Mid-Air
According to the Daily Mail, attendees of the Boardmasters music festival got quite the scare Friday (Aug. 8) when the Apollo 13 ride broke down.
The attraction lifts riders to the highest point of the festival in Newquay, Cornwall, swinging them up towards the sky on a huge arm before flipping them over when they reach the top.
This time, however, the Apollo 13 came to a dead stop upside down 180 feet in the air, leaving festivalgoers dangling for 20 minutes at 1:30 a.m.
As terrifying footage of the incident made the rounds on social media, a spokesperson for Boardmasters Festival told the Daily Mail that Apollo 13 temporarily lost power mid-ride.
“As a safety precaution, the ride automatically halted with people on board,” the spokesperson said. “The ride operator immediately responded and safely assisted all guests from the ride within 20 minutes. At no point were guests in any danger. The ride has since undergone a full safety check and resumed normal operation.”
On TikTok, one user commented, “broooo I saw it puffing out black smoke occasionally and a couple of white puffs yesterday. I knew that mfer was on its way out.”
[RELATED: The Meaning Behind Nelly Furtado’s Comeback Song “Love Bites”]
Chaos in Cornwall
Apparently, the Apollo 13 malfunction wasn’t the only trouble that befell the Boardmasters music festival. The Tab described “portaloos toppled with people inside… entire tents and belongings swiped, and the epidemic of pantsing that swept through campsites. One unlucky group was even detained for six hours on suspicion of slashing tents.”
Additionally, Raye had to pause her headlining set after spotting an audience member in medical distress. A festival spokesperson said, “In line with Boardmasters protocol, RAYE briefly paused her performance so that staff could help a female attendee to the on-site medical team due to feeling faint.”
Festival organizers previously spoke about upgrading safety measures after a crowd surge at last year’s event left seven people hospitalized.
Featured image by Hugh R Hastings/Getty Images
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