Man Left Dangling in Air in Okla. After Bungee Cord on Thrill Ride Breaks

A bungee cord on a thrill ride broke, leaving a man dangling 25 feet (7.5 meters) off the ground in Tulsa, Okla., for a half-hour until he was rescued by firefighters.

Steve Alan Stone, 48, was not seriously hurt in the incident Oct. 2 at the Tulsa State Fair. A ride worker also was helped down by rescuers.

The ride, called the Ejection Seat, consists of a two-seat chair that is suspended from two towers by bungee cords. Passengers are propelled as much as 200 feet (60 meters) high at speeds of about 60 mph (96.5 kph).

Shortly after Stone was launched, one of the cords broke, leaving the seat dangling sideways near one of the towers, Tulsa County Sheriff’s Capt. Fred Cotton said.

Stone said he did not fully realize what was happening until he saw that he was suspended sideways about 25 feet (7.5 meters) above the ground.

“I was talking myself though a lot, and they (emergency and fair workers) were talking to me, too,” he said. “I wasn’t scared of dying. I had the utmost confidence in them.”

The malfunction is being investigated by the Oklahoma Department of Labor, which oversees fair-ride safety.