Riders climb down Cyclone rollercoaster after it breaks mid-ride

RIDERS have had to climb down a clackety old roller coaster after it became stuck at a US theme park.

Coney Island’s Cyclone screeched to a halt mid-ride on Saturday for the second time this season.
Michael Osborn, 36, and his girlfriend, Jessica Laux, 34, were in one of the Cyclone’s rear cars when it stopped in its tracks around 2pm.
“The car stopped. We heard a sudden click and a brake and the car just stopped — that’s it,” said Osborn.
“Luckily, it stopped before the big drop. … We were mildly concerned, sure,” he said. “That [the walk off the Cyclone] was worse than the stop. The ladder — the rungs aren’t too stable.”
“I’ve lived here for eight years and I’ve never ridden this thing,” Osborn said. Despite the mishap, he’ll ride the Cyclone again.
Brooklyn artist Sophia Flood, 30, wondered why the iconic coaster, which opened in 1927, is still in operation.
“If you are riding the Cyclone, you should know you are taking a chance, and if you are not willing to take that chance, you shouldn’t ride it,” Flood said.
Lise Streit, 46, said she and pal Tom Babel hoped the ride would be fixed soon.
“We bought tickets. We want to do the historic thing. We are from Austria — we saw movies and Coney Island was in it,” Streit said.

Another rider, Matt Levin, 27, said the roughly 24 riders were stuck for about five minutes before being led down.
“It was a little scary. I mean, you look down and you’re pretty high up. And so it was a little bit scary,” he said. “But at the end of the day … you know, I always wanted to go on the Cyclone. Some people had warned against it and now I know why. This is my first time.”
Levin wasn’t sure he’ll give the Cyclone another chance.
“It might take some coaxing — I don’t know,” he said.
The ride was expected to be reopened later Saturday.
Luna Park in Coney Island, which manages the ride, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The Cyclone also got stuck on March 29 during its season-opening public run as it climbed up a 60-degree incline to its first big drop.
More than 12 riders were left suspended dozens of feet off the ground for about 10 minutes, until they were forced to walk hand-in-hand with rescuers down the steep slope of the track to safety.