MONTGOMERY, Ala. – Visitors to the Montgomery Zoo spent part of Labor Day hanging high in the air after a ride malfunctioned.
The zoo’s Zoofari Skylift ride shut down automatically on Monday with visitors on board.
Brittany Athey tells WSFA-TV that she, her boyfriend and some relatives were riding the lift when it stopped suddenly.
Athey says they were stranded for about 90 minutes as Montgomery police and fire workers tried to fix the problem. She calls the experience terrifying.
Park officials say the delay was much shorter, estimating it at about 40 minutes. Workers got water to the stranded visitors while they were waiting.
Zoo director Marsha Woodard says the ride will go through a safety check before it’s reopened to visitors.
The ride rises 40 feet off the ground.