An Alton Towers rollercoaster that was evacuated because a visitor became agitated by a technical delay will remain closed on Thursday.
Earlier a spokesman for the theme park, where last week four people sustained serious injuries in a crash on a different rollercoaster, had said the customer on the Octonauts had been distressed for “an unknown reason”.
But the park in Staffordshire has now explained that “a minor technical delay caused the ride to stop”, which prompted the panic.
The spokesman added: “In line with standard procedures, the ride was therefore evacuated and staff followed all normal processes to ensure guests were taken off the ride quickly and safely.
“As a precaution, Alton Towers is now conducting thorough checks of the ride before it reopens.”
A visitor to the park who contacted the Guardian after witnessing part of Wednesday’s incident said: “I was on another ride at that point. When I got off, they were taking people off the Octonauts ride.
“At that point, Alton Towers operatives with helmets and harnesses on were involved. There was a lady next to me whose son was really distressed and she was shouting up to him to stay calm and that everything would be all right.
“My wife and I just decided to leave the park at that point with our children. They did absolutely nothing to stop the children and parents going in to that part of the park to witness what was going on.”
Last week 16 people were involved in a crash on Alton Tower’s Smiler rollercoster.
Leah Washington, one of the four seriously injured, was initially on a life support machine and had part off her leg amputated over the weekend, but is now making a rapid recovery, her brother Luke told the BBC.
The 17-year-old from Barnsley, South Yorkshire, also fractured her hand on the Smiler ride and her boyfriend, Joe Pugh, 18, was treated for two broken knees and extensive hand injuries.
Daniel Thorpe, a 27-year-old old assistant hotel manager from Buxton in Derbyshire, and dancer Vicky Balch, 20, from Leyland in Lancashire, were also seriously hurt, with Balch’s solicitors describing her leg injuries as “life-changing”.
Thorpe fractured his leg and punctured a lung, but said in a statement on Thursday he was looking forward to returning to normality soon.
“I would like to thank everyone for their support which has been a great comfort to me at this time,” he said. “In particular the emergency services, doctors, nurses and the rest of the team who have been looking after me and my family during this time have been fantastic.”
The victims’ lawyers are to meet Merlin’s insurers this week to discuss payouts for the injured guests, after the theme park operator admitted full responsibility.
