Carnival ride malfunction leaves guests dangling in Thousand Oaks

In Thousand Oaks, at the Conejo Valley Days carnival, a group of approximately 18 individuals found themselves stranded on an amusement park ride known as the "zipper" due to a mechanical failure. The Ventura County Fire Department (VCFD) was alerted to the situation around 8:05 p.m. on Sunday night. Responding to the incident, firefighters successfully rescued all passengers by manually lowering the ride, a process that took about 30 minutes. Fortunately, no injuries were reported during the rescue operation, and first responders remained on the scene for 35 minutes. Following the incident, the VCFD made a Facebook post detailing the rescue operation, while Kastl Amusements, the carnival operators, confirmed the occurrence to Fox News Digital. Kastl Amusements owner Kay Kastl assured that all passengers were safely secured throughout the ordeal and that the evacuation procedure, though slow, was designed to prioritize passenger safety. Contrary to the VCFD's account, Kastl Amusements stated that authorities were present but did not directly assist in the rescue, with ride staff managing the safe unloading of all passengers without any reported injuries. As investigations into the cause of the incident continue, Conejo Valley Days is set to reopen to the public on Wednesday, with the annual festival scheduled to run through June 30, 2024. The status of the "zipper" ride, however, remains uncertain as it is unclear whether it will resume operation. Kastl Amusements is actively looking into the malfunction to determine the root cause of the incident, with no further details available at this time. The carnival mishap, while causing a temporary disruption, ultimately concluded without harm to any of the individuals involved, highlighting the importance of swift and coordinated emergency response efforts in such situations.