Students rescued from stalled roller coaster at Galveston theme park

Eight students on a school field trip were rescued Thursday after the Iron Shark roller coaster at Pleasure Pier in Galveston, Texas, stalled with riders aboard, drawing firefighters to the beachfront amusement park.

The incident forced the closure of the amusement park and put a school group in the air until firefighters could safely bring them down — highlighting how quickly ride malfunctions can escalate into full emergency responses.

The Iron Shark stopped at 5:21 p.m. Thursday, and the Galveston Fire Department received the emergency call at 5:37 p.m., according to ABC7 Los Angeles. Firefighters positioned their Tower 1 engine on the pier and safely removed all guests from the ride.

The eight students were from Energized for STEM Academy Middle School and STEM Academy High School, both part of Houston ISD, and had traveled to the seaside attraction on a class field trip. The Iron Shark is the tallest ride at Pleasure Pier, featuring a 100-foot vertical lift hill.

Pleasure Pier was closed to the public during the rescue operation. "We are grateful that all students, staff, and chaperones are safe. School administration is in direct contact with the families of all students who were on the trip," Houston ISD said in a statement, according to ABC7 Los Angeles.

Landry's Inc., which owns Pleasure Pier, said the coaster stopped as it was designed to when the malfunction was detected. "Our focus immediately shifted to the safety of our guests. Therefore, we contacted the Fire Department to assist, ensuring all guests were safely removed from the ride. A thorough inspection of the ride will take place before it is placed back in service," the company said.

All students, staff and chaperones were confirmed safe. The Iron Shark will remain out of service until Landry's Inc. completes a full mechanical inspection, the company said.