Thorpe Park forced to shut Hyperia ride today after riders left stranded in mid-air

Thorpe Park is shutting Hyperia due to 'unforeseen circumstances' today (Wednesday, June 19). The theme park apologised for the disappointment and said it was working hard to reopen it.

Hyperia, which is 236ft or 72m in height, had only just reopened after it broke down on Saturday, June 15. Riders were left in the air for an hour, before reopening at 10am on Sunday.

Hyperia only just opened on May 24, before shutting the next day until June 12 while staff carried out technical safety checks. As a result, the ride, which has a top speed of 81mph or 130kmph, was only open for four days before the breakdown, then another three days until closing today.

On the breakdown, one visitor said on Saturday: “A guy went up with a harness spoke to them and came back down. They’ve now closed the ride. It has been open/closed all morning and they have evacuated the whole ride area.”

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A Thorpe Park spokesperson said today: "Due to unforeseen circumstances, we are unable to open Hyperia today, Wednesday 19th June. We will update our ride availability page with the latest information regarding the opening of Hyperia beyond today.

"We apologise for the disappointment this will cause and we are working hard to reopen Hyperia as soon as possible and will keep people updated via our website and social media."

According to Thorpe Park, Hyperia is the UK’s tallest, fastest and most weightless rollercoaster. It reads: “Towering above the iconic Thorpe Park skyline stands an all-new marvel of engineering: Rising high above the landscape at an extraordinary 236ft, this magnificent masterpiece of steel beckons Thrillseekers from far and wide to ‘Find Their Fearless’.

“With over 995 meters of twisted track and speeds exceeding 80mph, inspired by the legendary daughter of an ancient River God who dared to defy her fears, Hyperia is not just a rollercoaster - it’s a tribute to the powerful potential within each of us. You’ll feel weightless, fearless, invincible.”