Mad Mouse Break Down

[Daniel 1]

Six trapped on ride of terror By Kelvin Healey May 22, 2005 From: Sunday Herald Sun SIX people were trapped 30 metres above the ground on a stricken Luna Park roller-coaster in Melbourne yesterday, but rescuers were not alerted for 90 minutes, firefighters have claimed. Luna Park management only called in help when it failed to bring the carriages on the Metropolis ride to the ground, Metropolitan Fire Brigade officials said. The Victorian WorkCover Authority has launched an investigation into the incident and firefighters want to know why they were not called in earlier. Four petrified boys, one girl and a man were eventually pulled to safety by firefighters using a cherrypicker about 4.30pm. Eleven-year-old Eren Alders, who was riding in the front of two carriages when the ride broke down, told of his terror ride. "I thought it would fall and we would die," he said. Eren, who was at the park for a friend's 11th birthday, was on the ride with his friend Patrick Reaby, and Patrick's father David. Patrick, 12, of Mentone, said: "It was freaky. We never knew when we would get out". Witnesses said the ride came to a halt about 2.30pm. In the rear carriage was Robert Tomlin, who was celebrating his 10th birthday, "We were going around and the wheel fell off and it just stopped," he said. Also in the rear carriage was Jayme-Lee Warne, 13, who said it took too long for rescuers to get the group out. "We were left there for two hours. We were all really scared," she said. "I think they should have got us down quicker." Before firefighters arrived, a worker from the park in a cherry-picker belted the wheel area of a carriage with a hammer, then attempted to lever it with crow bar. Speaking as the incident was unfolding, Luna Park operations manager Simon Mudgway said there was "a technical issue with the ride". "We are aware of what it is. There is a standard procedure to go through, it just takes time because of the height," he said. Later, Luna Park refused to comment about the delay in calling for help.

[nev 2]

Hey guys, just thought I'd share this article I found on the Sydney Morning Herald website this morning about Melbourne's Luna Park... Six stranded on Luna Park ride May 22, 2005 Five children and one adult were trapped for almost one hour on the Mad Mouse ride at Melbourne's Luna Park on Saturday. Four Metropolitan Fire Brigade units, including a helicopter, helped rescue the passengers just before 5pm (AEST) from the top of the Mad Mouse's 15-metre structure. Firefighters freed the six using a hydraulic platform. A Metropolitan Fire Brigade spokesman said it appeared one of the ride's cars had a mechanical failure. "All the trapped persons remained calm throughout the ordeal," the spokesman said. "The rescue was completed without injury. WorkCover is investigating the cause of the incident." The Luna Park incident follows a 2003 Mad Mouse accident at the Royal Melbourne Show when 10 children were injured. That accident was believed to have been caused by a cap which blew off a passenger's head and caught in the Mad Mouse's car wheels. AAP

[Daniel 1]

"We were going around and the wheel fell off and it just stopped," he said.

Classic!!!

[daredevil 0]

I didn't know there was a mad mouse at melbournes luna park? :confused:

[Bussy 24]

I find it very hard to believe that it would have taken them 90 minutes to contact emergency services. 30 minutes I could understand but any longer is out of the ordinary. Operational staff would have realised within 30 minutes that it was going to require outside help to rectify the situation. Outside of that the parents of the kids on the ride would have called emergency services if it was taking too long and they felt the staff were not doing enough to get them off quickly. "The Bus is now leaving for Ararat State Emergency Service, Victoria"

[Morphix 3]

LMAo 30 meters my ass. more like 15 at the very most. Its only a few meters below the height of the scenic railway, and the little feris wheel next to it is taller! Heres a pic of it at my last trip.

[Morphix 3]

Its actually the standard "galaxy ride" not really a mad mouse but still have elements such as a spiral. Check the other thread. Funny how the sydney paper and get the ride height right of 15 meters and and the melbourne claim its 30, lol.

[Daniel 1]

Way to frig the forum with your picture you friggen dolt!

[Morphix 3]

feel free to reccommend me something that resizes pics

[joz 1,885]

Well, he is right on one thing, the ride is all of 14meters high, so exactly how they found themselves 30meters in the are is a mystery.

[HussRainbow 0]

exactly, thats taller than the Rainbow.....and Galaxi definetly does not reach that height!. I remember getting stuck on Scenic Railway one time, down the back near the Pharos Curse....we all thought it was hilarious, as this wasnt the first time its ever happened. We just casually waved to onlookers and had a laugh about the whole situation.

[AlexB 3,422]

Before firefighters arrived, a worker from the park in a cherry-picker belted the wheel area of a carriage with a hammer, then attempted to lever it with crow bar.   Speaking as the incident was unfolding, Luna Park operations manager Simon Mudgway said there was "a technical issue with the ride".   "We are aware of what it is. There is a standard procedure to go through, it just takes time because of the height," he said.  

Sounds like Wonderland Maintenance, and operations management found themselves a new job in melbourne! I remember being up in HBL one time when Skyrider jammed up. The ride was charlied for more than 2 hours, and emergency rescue were NOT called in.... This was the same incident in which Zoe was up at the HBL station speaking over the Loudspeaker system to reassure the guests, and then, forgetting to turn off the microphone, maintenance told her it was going to be a while, and with the microphone still in hand, screaming F*$&ing S*$% F*$&ING RIDE!!!

[T-bone 309]

This was the same incident in which Zoe was up at the HBL station speaking over the Loudspeaker system to reassure the guests, and then, forgetting to turn off the microphone, maintenance told her it was going to be a while, and with the microphone still in hand, screaming F*$&ing S*$% F*$&ING RIDE!!!

That must have been ****ing good to see.

[Morphix 3]

exactly, thats taller than the Rainbow.....and Galaxi definetly does not reach that height!. I remember getting stuck on Scenic Railway one time, down the back near the Pharos Curse....we all thought it was hilarious, as this wasnt the first time its ever happened. We just casually waved to onlookers and had a laugh about the whole situation.

was that about 8 months ago, when it was on the news?

[jcgoldcoast 21]

feel free to reccommend me something that resizes pics

MS Paint, the best tool for editing images in the whole wide world *cough*.

[HussRainbow 0]

was that about 8 months ago, when it was on the news?

No, this was just during a regular day that we went,.... it was a windy day, and the train couldnt get up the hill, so the brake was pulled, and we sat at the top of the hill..... then they called about 5-8 staff to help push us up the hill...it was great fun

[Daniel 1]

This was the same incident in which Zoe was up at the HBL station speaking over the Loudspeaker system to reassure the guests, and then, forgetting to turn off the microphone, maintenance told her it was going to be a while, and with the microphone still in hand, screaming F*$&ing S*$% F*$&ING RIDE!!!

Mole face was all class wasn't she...

[Drewboy 1]

I remember being up in HBL one time when Skyrider jammed up. The ride was charlied for more than 2 hours, and emergency rescue were NOT called in.... This was the same incident in which Zoe was up at the HBL station speaking over the Loudspeaker system to reassure the guests, and then, forgetting to turn off the microphone, maintenance told her it was going to be a while, and with the microphone still in hand, screaming F*$&ing S*$% F*$&ING RIDE!!!

There is seriously something about every chick named Zoe. All the ones I know-of are ugly, fat m*les.

[HussRainbow 0]

Omg Me 2!!!!!

[Wazza1 2]

Sounds like Wonderland Maintenance, and operations management found themselves a new job in melbourne!

If you actually knew anything Alex, (which from reading a lot of your posts is not much) the General Manager of Luna Park in Melbourne, was formerly the Operations Manager of Australia's Wonderland.

I remember being up in HBL one time when Skyrider jammed up. The ride was charlied for more than 2 hours, and emergency rescue were NOT called in.... This was the same incident in which Zoe was up at the HBL station speaking over the Loudspeaker system to reassure the guests

I also enjoy your massive exaggeration. This particular incident you refer to, was rectified in exactly 90mins.

[GoGoBoy 313]

The Sydney Morning Herald needs to get their facts straight. Talk about poor research. The SMH is normally pretty good. The roller coaster in question is NOT a Mad Mouse coaster at all... that is completely wrong. And then relating it to the incident at the Royal Show makes it even worse as it was a totally different style of ride. On Mad/Wild Mouse coasters (like the one at Luna Park Sydney) a hat can quite easily jam the wheels of a carriage but I think it would be a lot harder on a Galaxi coaster (Luna Park Melbourne). Feel free to correct me if I am wrong. I think the paper is getting their parks and coasters mixed up

[Gazza 1,261]

Since whn was a helicopter involved.

[djrappa 1,868]

Okay first... wow Alex you better get your facts straight cause 90mins is SOOO MUCH better than 2 hours lol Second no one in the public really gives a toss whether it's a mad mouse or a galaxy or a wild mouse or called taipan or anything... Mad mouse is close enough for the public to know what they are talking about. Third if they say it was a hat, it was probably likely a hat, they have been known to jam up coasters. and Finaly Alex's comment was actualy 'looks like WL operations got a job at Melbourne' you are confirming that as fact so why are you saying he doesn't know anything? Geeze people, lighten the hell up and try and at least be civil to one and other.

[AlexB 3,422]

*changes "over 2 hours" to "a heck of a lot more time than it should have taken to either repair, or call emergency rescue"* Geez.... these maintenance and operations people get really defensive dont they? however long it took to fix skyrider... something more should have been done in that time. And how do you know it was EXACTLY 90 minutes? is there a stopwatch on a ride that starts automatically the instant it breaks down? i dont think so. so add on extra time for the operator to realise there is a problem, bell it to the other station, wait for the radio channel to be free, then call in to the control room,also bear in mind that once it starts up again, its a minute or two before the passengers make it back to the station, and many other little bits and pieces, your 90 minutes can balloon quite quickly... tell us.... how DO you know it was exactly 90 minutes?

[djrappa 1,868]

If only maint. at Wonderland put as much effort into their work when they were at the park as they do in posting maybe the park wouldn't have been so poor. Sorry to be harsh but IMO the maint. at WL was 'band aid' at best.