HENRY K. LEE
The San Francisco Chronicle

Firefighters rescued two dozen people stuck on a roller coaster Monday at the California's Great America amusement park.

Twenty-four people were stuck on the Invertigo ride starting around 1:30 p.m., said Capt. Scott Kouns of the San Jose Fire Department. By 5:30 p.m., firefighters had rescued all of the riders using ladder trucks and a lift. No one was injured, he said.

Invertigo opened in 1998. In April 2000, about 25 riders were stuck in a similar incident on the same ride.

The riders stuck Monday were from 30 to 70 feet above the ground and upright, Kouns said.

The Invertigo takes riders upside down six times in just over a minute after an initial 161-foot climb. The train reaches a speed of 50 mph and eventually repeats the course in reverse. Great America spokesman Jim Stellmack said the ride shut down due to a problem with its "lift chain." All rides are inspected daily, he said.

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August 11, 2009