Firefighters seen evacuating passengers from Skyfari ride at zoo
Firefighters were seen helping over 30 passengers evacuate a stalled aerial ride over Southwick's Zoo in Mendon
By Phil Tenser, Mary Saladna
Click here for updates on this story
MENDON, Massachusetts (WCVB) — Firefighters were seen helping over 30 passengers evacuate a stalled aerial ride over Southwick’s Zoo in Mendon, Massachusetts, on Monday.
Similar to a ski lift, the ride operates in a triangle route, giving riders an aerial view of exhibits and animals across the sprawling property.
Video from Sky5 appeared to show a firefighter helping a child exit their chair and back slowly down a ladder while an adult and a second child, presumably for the firefighter’s subsequent trips. Elsewhere, a boom lift was seen helping other passengers out of another seat.
In a statement, zoo officials said the ride was halted because of “an unexpected issue.”
“Out of an abundance of caution, we contacted the Mendon Fire Department, who responded promptly and worked alongside our trained operations and security teams to safely assist guests from the ride’s gondolas,” the statement also said. “We are incredibly grateful for the swift, professional response of the fire department and for the preparedness and coordination of our internal staff.”
The Mendon Fire Department said five of the passengers were evacuated using a ladder after they were located in “difficult-to-access” areas of the zoo.
Bill Hekseth says he and his six-year-old grandson Cameron sat dangling for nearly 2 hours on the ride.
“We were the last ones off the ride because of the location of the cars that we were on,” Hekseth said. “They were tough to get to.”
Hekseth says his wife, who was with their granddaughter, ended up calling 911.
“When I was moving, I was actually very happy. I loved it, until it got stuck,” Cameron Macdonald said. “Then I was like I hate this ride.”
The zoo’s Skyfari ride, installed in 2007, previously became stuck in July 2022, when more than a dozen passengers were rescued by the fire department. In that incident, the owners of the zoo said that workers detected an oil leak in the ride’s machinery and shut it down as a precaution.
The co-owner of the zoo, Betsy Brewer, said the ride is regularly maintained.
“We maintain the ride. We work on it. Every three hours it’s checked,” Brewer said. “It gets inspected by the state.”
Zoo officials said they developed an emergency response plan in the wake of the 2022 incident.
“The safety of our guests remains our top priority, and we appreciate the patience and understanding of everyone involved,” the statement said.
Please note: This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.
