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Dozens rescued from The Wheel at ICON Park after power failure
Crews are manually moving The Wheel at ICON Park to get people out of the pods after the power went out New Years Eve
ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. - The iconic Ferris wheel at ICON Park in Orlando lost power Saturday night while dozens of people were on the ride, FOX 35 has learned.
Around 6:20 p.m., Orange County Fire Rescue said they received a report of a power failure at The Wheel. Crews said they rescued 62 people who were trapped in one of the 20 pods of the ride. There were 20 pods occupied on the ride during the incident.
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VIDEO: Sparks fly as Wheel at ICON Park loses power
Guests had to be evacuated from The Wheel, a 400-foot Ferris Wheel at ICON Park in Orange, County, Florida, after it lost power. Video shared with FOX 35 appeared to show the moment the power went out, followed by sparks on one part of the ride.
ICON Park confirmed in a statement late Saturday that The Wheel lost power and that officials were working with Orange County Fire Rescue to evacuate people.
"The Wheel lost power Saturday night and we’re working with the Orange County Fire Department to safely evacuate guests," the statement read.
No other details were immediately released.
FOX 35 has reached out to Orange County Fire Rescue and Orlando Fire Rescue for additional information.
The Wheel is 400 feet tall and features air-conditioned observation enclosures, according to its website. It opened in 2015 after three years of construction.
In March 2022, Tyre Sampson died after he fell off Orlando FreeFall, a drop tower ride at ICON Park. Back in October, the park made the decision to tear down the ride after Sampson fell out of the ride's restraints.
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Orlando free fall ride to be torn down following 14-year-old Tyre Sampson's death
Orlando FreeFall drop tower ride at ICON Park will be torn down after Tyre Sampson's death, the family responds to the news
The teen was visiting Orlando on spring break with another family from St. Louis, Missouri.
The ride – which was relatively new at the time – was billed as the world's tallest drop tower. It has been closed ever since his death.