'Help me': Viral video shows NJ riders hang upside down amid frantic screams

OCEAN CITY, NEW JERSEY: A few minutes on an amusement ride turned into a terrifying wait for several people after they found themselves suspended upside down high above the Ocean City Boardwalk.

Video, originally shot on July 5, has resurfaced online, capturing frightened riders screaming as they remained trapped in the air.

The footage, recorded at Playland’s Castaway Cove has now gone viral, giving viewers a stomach-churning glimpse of the breakdown.

Riders scream for help in viral video

The video needs almost no explanation.

The riders are visibly stuck above the ground, their bodies inverted as the attraction remains frozen in position.

What would normally be a fast-moving thrill ride suddenly becomes an agonizing few minutes of simply hanging there.

One rider can be heard shouting, “Help me, Get me down.”

From the ground, another woman tries to keep the situation from becoming even more frightening.

“You’re alright, honey, you’re alright,” she tells the distressed rider.

The contrast is striking. Above her, people are trapped upside down and clearly frightened.

Below, guests waiting for their turn watch helplessly, while the woman attempts to reassure one of the riders.

The riders remained suspended for roughly five to seven minutes before the situation was resolved.

Riders ride 'Double Shot' at Playland’s Castaway Cove in New Jersey's Ocean City (Playland’s Castaway Cove)

Eyewitness details ordeal

The footage was captured by Caitlin Gulli, who was at the amusement park with her children.

Gulli reportedly said the incident was particularly alarming because another ride at the park had already malfunctioned earlier that evening.

“This was the second ride that evening that had malfunctioned,” she said, adding that she was concerned about the safety of her three children, who were riding attractions at the park that night.

Her comments have added another layer to the video’s impact, turning what might otherwise have been dismissed as a brief ride malfunction into a larger conversation about amusement-park safety.

The reason for the breakdown has not been disclosed.

Wipe Out is a high-intensity ride at Playland’s Castaway Cove.

Unlike a conventional roller coaster, Wipe Out uses a large arm to lift riders into the air while rotating them through a series of movements that include intense inversions.

That design makes the sight of the ride stopping while passengers are upside down particularly unsettling.