Air ambulance lands at Alton Towers and ride closed after visitor becomes seriously unwell
Th13teen is world’s first vertical free fall drop roller coaster and cost £15 million
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.An air ambulance has landed at Alton Towers after a thrill-seeker reportedly became seriously unwell while on a ride at the Staffordshire theme park.
Visitors were told to stay away from a grassy area while paramedics continued to treat the person on Monday afternoon.
The ride Th13teen – a £15 million vertical drop roller coaster – was closed off, while fire crews were also spotted at the park, it was reported.
Lizzie Roberts, spokeswoman for Alton Towers, confirmed to The Independent an incident was ongoing at 3.20pm on Monday.
She said: “The air ambulance was called to provide medical assistance to a guest who had fallen ill during their visit.
“This is common practice when support is requested. We would like to reassure our guests that this was unrelated to any of our rides or attractions.”
Asked what had happened to the person, she said it remained unclear. Their condition, too, remains unknown.
The rest of the park is open as normal, she added.
Th13teen, which opened in 2010, was the world’s first vertical free fall drop roller coaster. Guests on the ride plunge five metres in pitch black darkness.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments