While part of the thrill of roller coasters is soaring through the air, way up above the ground, that thrill should only last perhaps a few seconds at a time. And not, as 24 Six Flags visitors experienced, hours and hours sitting in a roller coaster that refuses to move.

The 17 adults and seven children who ended up stranded on the Joker’s Jinx at Six Flags America in Maryland were finally rescued from the ride after spending about five hours in the air, 79 feet above the ground, reports CBS Baltimore.

The ride lost power at a point where it couldn’t move anywhere on its own, the fire chief explained.

“They are in a divot of the track, so they are in a place where they can’t really go forward or backward without power,” he said. “At first, I think everybody was OK. And then as the sun baked on them, I am sure folks started getting more antsy about being up there.”

Rescuers passed water, umbrellas and sunblock up to the passengers, who finally reached freedom via a ladder with a bucket attached to it. No one was injured, officials said.

“The ride has a sophisticated, computerized safety system that can cause such ride stoppages. While we are not yet sure what caused the stoppage, the ride performed as it is designed to,” Six Flags said in a statement.

The ride was shut down for the rest of Sunday.

24 Passengers Rescued After Six Flags Roller Coaster Stuck For Hours [CBS Baltimore]

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