Cause of Galveston roller coaster getting stuck on Pleasure Pier revealed

GALVESTON, Texas - FOX 26 has learned the cause of why a roller-coaster in Galveston got stuck with eight passengers on board last Thursday. 

Cause of Iron Shark rollercoaster getting stuck in Galveston revealed

What they're saying:

According to Andy Alexander, Vice President of Facilities with Landry's, the cause of the roller-coaster was due to a sensor failure. 

"All rides at Pleasure Pier are inspected daily by trained maintenance professionals prior to operation and undergo regular third-party inspections in accordance with state requirements. In addition, rides are independently inspected every six months to ensure safe operation. All permits, inspections, and required documentation for Iron Shark were current at the time of the incident. The ride was in service all day without any issues, unfortunately this was a situation where a sensor failed, causing a malfunction that was undetectable in advance of this incident. Most importantly, the ride's safety feature functioned properly, and the 8 passengers were evacuated safely thanks to the help of the Galveston Fire Department. Following the event, the ride is undergoing a thorough review and comprehensive safety testing, both internally and by an independent inspector and will be placed back into service when cleared to safely resume operations," said Alexander. 

The backstory:

All passengers who were stuck on a roller-coaster on Pleasure Pier in Galveston, Texas, were rescued after the Iron Shark got stuck with some passengers stuck on the roller-coaster for well over three hours. 

Firefighters had to use a tower truck to get the roller-coaster riders down one-by-one in a process that took over three-and-a-half hours to get all the passengers rescued. 

Authorities said each person was placed in a safety harness to get them down safely. 

The Houston Independent School District confirmed with FOX 26 last week that students, who were stuck on the roller coaster, were participating in a field trip organized by Energized for STEM Academy Middle School and STEM Academy High school, two HISD in-district charter schools. 

"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. We are thankful for the rescue efforts of the first responders and park personnel."

Dig deeper:

What is the Iron Shark roller coaster?

According to the Pleasure Pier website, where the roller coaster is located, "The Iron Shark will attack when least expected with its 100-foot vertical lift and beyond-vertical drop. Tracking at 52 miles per hour, the vehicles will glide the 1,246-foot coaster track which includes a diving loop, a greater than vertical drop and four full inversions."