A Johannesburg businessman recorded the moment a Gold Reef City theme park ride came to a stop mid-air, sparking a flurry of safety concerns online. 

The video, which has been widely shared across Facebook, TikTok and Instagram, was recorded and posted by Aslam du Toit on July 15. 

Du Toit was visiting the park with his wife, 11-year-old daughter and three other relatives when the Flying Maverick ride experienced an unexpected interruption. 

He told Caxton Network News that his family had just got off the ride moments before the next group of passengers boarded and the incident unfolded. 

Mid-air mechanical breakdown 

“We walked to a snack stand across from the ride and, as I turned around, I noticed it was upside down, suspended in the air, and appeared to be stuck. At first, I didn’t think much of it, but when I looked again, I realised it was definitely stuck,” he explains. 

Du Toit says it was at that point that he started recording the video. 

“I could not believe it was stuck. My wife, daughter and relatives had all just been on the ride. I was thankful it did not happen while they were on it. There were four people on the ride, basically upside down. They were surprisingly calm.” 

He says that after about five minutes, the ride began operating again. 

Multiple attractions affected 

“Soon after this incident, my wife and daughter joined the queue to go on the Jozi Express and moments later they came back to me to say that ride was also stuck. Since posting the video on social media, I have received so many comments, many of them sharing their experiences of getting stuck on other rides, such as the Tower of Terror.” 

Du Toit says the Tower of Terror is extremely high, and one social media user claimed he became stuck mid-air and had to climb down the side of the ride.  

He adds that he shared the video not to ‘bad-mouth’ the park, but to make people aware of what had happened. 

Social media reaction 

An Instagram user, _lil.we4zy, posted a comment on Du Toit’s video saying he was stuck on the ride, adding that he was a little dizzy but all good. 

Several social media users also shared their own experiences. 

One user, Kokwanathabiso, said the ride, the Flying Maverick, ‘always did that’, adding that it had recently been stuck for 20 minutes. 

Another user, One_in_amelia, said she got stuck on a ride with several other people in 2022. 

“I think it was the Tower of Terror or something like that. We got stuck mid-air for 20 minutes. Never went back there again,” she added. 

User Karma.Kaziii said that while she was at the park recently, the Jozi Express also got stuck mid-ride. 

Network News has reached out to Gold Reef City, via Tsogo Sun, for comment. The story will be updated once a response is received. 
 
Watch the video here:

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