Slingshot ride at Hyde Park’s Winter Wonderland SNAPS and CRASHES with passengers still INSIDE

Terrifying moment slingshot ride at Hyde Park’s Winter Wonderland SNAPS and smashes into support beam leaving two passengers trapped inside as security evacuate the area

• WARNING: VIDEO CONTAINS EXPLICIT LANGUAGE
• Slingshot ride at Winter Wonderland in Hyde Park, London crashed last night
• Riders were inside the seating pod as a technical issue caused the release of one of the elastic cords and steel wire ropes supporting the gondola
• The ride hurtled into a support beam and was left hung on its side afterwards
• Do you know the riders in the slingshot? Email tips@dailymail.com 

By Oliver Price and Elizabeth Haigh For Mailonline

Published: 02:26 GMT, 15 December 2022 | Updated: 12:01 GMT, 15 December 2022

This is the terrifying moment the slingshot ride at Winter Wonderland in Hyde Park snapped leaving two riders trapped late last night.

The seating pod on the fairground ride at the popular London Christmas attraction crashed into the support beam and left two people, both believed to be male, stuck inside.

The ride typically uses elastic-propelled cords to launch the pod straight up into the air as if propelled by a slingshot. 

But a video on social media showed the ride went badly wrong last night when a technical issue caused the release of one of the elastic cords and steel wire ropes.

The seating pod on the fairground ride at the popular London Christmas attraction crashed into the support beam with riders still inside last night.

This is the terrifying moment that the slingshot ride at Winter Wonderland in Hyde Park snapped its band as riders took off

The remaining band recoiled to the side and sent the pod hurtling into one of the ride’s support beams, leaving the riders suspended in mid-air. 

The seating pod – with the riders still inside – launched entirely to the left.

After crashing into the beam the seating pod hung on its side with the terrified riders inside. 

It is not the first incident to have marred the popular attraction this winter, after a stabbing outside the entrance earlier this week. 

Shocked revellers looked on as the ride crashed and some gasped out loud as it happened.

A video on social media shows two people seated in the spherical metal pod as an electrical mechanism mechanism tightens up the cords which launch it into to air like a slingshot

A member of staff stops patrons Winter Wonderland from getting to the slingshot ride after the incident

Another video shows staff at Winter Wonderland blocking access to the ride just after the crash.

It also shows fire engines from the London Fire Brigade attending the incident on blue lights.

The London Fire Brigade has been contacted for further information. 

A Hyde Park Winter Wonderland Spokesperson said: ‘We can confirm that a technical issue involving the reverse bungee occurred on Wednesday evening. Both riders were safely escorted off the ride, checked by our on-site medics and were not injured.

Safety is our highest priority and the ride is closed while further investigation takes place. All of our rides undergo rigorous and regular safety checks by experienced members of staff trained in health and safety. We also provide regular training for all staff to ensure our visitors can enjoy a fun and safe experience.

All other attractions at Winter Wonderland are operating as normal.’

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