A fun day at a popular Texas amusement park quickly turned into a nightmare earlier this week for eight students who got stuck on a roller coaster and dangled vertically 100 feet off the ground for almost four hours. While the students of the Houston Independent School District were on a field trip to Galveston Island Historic Pleasure Pier in Texas, the Iron Shark roller coaster stopped mid-ascent during its featured 100-foot climb. Firefighters rushed to the rescue and pulled out a 105-foot fire truck tower ladder to retrieve the stuck kids. ABC Eyewitness News reported that the roller coaster stopped at 5:21 p.m., and firefighters received a call at 5:37 p.m., according to Galveston Fire Department Chief Mike Varela Jr. The amusement park was closed while the firefighters on top of the truck’s 105-foot tower ladder lowered the students in a harness one at a time. The last student was retrieved shortly after 9:00 p.m. A terrifying roller coaster rescue is underway in Galveston, Texas Thursday. A car became stuck on a vertical track, leaving eight people dangling at the very top of the ride. Firefighters are using a long-ladder truck to reach the riders several stories above the ground. Crews… pic.twitter.com/Wma3RxQMWQ — ABC7 News (@abc7newsbayarea) May 29, 2026 Terry Turney, the chief operating officer of Pleasure Pier, said in a statement that the roller coaster “as designed, immediately stopped to keep everyone safe” during its initial ascent due to a malfunction. However, it is still unclear what caused the malfunction. The students were checked for dehydration after being stuck in the sun for hours, but no one was injured. “Our focus immediately shifted to the safety of our guests. Therefore, we contacted the Fire Department to assist, ensuring all guests were safely removed from the ride,” Turney said. “A thorough inspection of the ride will take place before it is placed back in service.” In an interview, Galveston Fire Chief Mike Varela said, “Of course they were shaken up from climbing that ladder down, being in that hot sun.” However, he said the firefighters were “able to use their skills to calm everyone down,” and they reassured the students that “the equipment they were putting on them was going to keep them safe.” Pleasure Pier is a major tourist attraction in Galveston, with the Iron Shark roller coaster featuring four full inversions, a 100-foot climb, 95-degree drop, and reaches speeds up to 52 mph.