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Roller coaster stalls out mid-ride, stranding passengers 20 feet in the air

Ride is one of Castles N' Coasters' top attractions

PHOENIX, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY/CNN) - A spinning, flipping roller coaster at an amusement park became stuck mid-ride on Saturday night, stranding nearly two dozen passengers 20 feet in the air until local firefighters came to the rescue.

Phoenix Fire Department

The Desert Storm ride at Castles N' Coasters theme park stalled along a sharply angled curve, according to photos from Phoenix Fire and Glendale Fire departments.

Fire rescue teams then arrived to the coaster and used a High Angle Belay System to safely lower the passengers to the ground, Phoenix Fire Department (PFD) revealed. Photos from the fire departments show at least seven ladders being used and about 15 firefighters on the scene.

Todd Keller, captain for PFD, said the passengers were rescued one at a time over the course of a couple hours using a cinch rescue collar and a pick-off harness. No one was injured.

"A couple of them were shaken up, but overall they were in good spirits," Keller told CNN affiliate KTVK/KPHO.

Joseph Almaraz, a 12-year-old who was stuck on the ride, told KTVK/KPHO he was frightened when firefighters unstrapped him and brought him down.

"It was scary because we didn't go down one ladder, we had to jump from ladder to ladder," Almaraz shared.

The park's website bills the ride as one of its top attractions: "Test your senses and courage as you challenge the excitement of the vertical drops, spins, and flips of the awesome Desert Storm Roller Coaster."

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April Hettinger

April was born and raised in San Diego where she loved the beach town and her two dogs, Lexi and Malibu. She decided to trade the beach for the snow and advanced her education at Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff.

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