Siren’s Curse: The ‘Sinister’ New Rollercoaster That Keeps Malfunctioning

The latest malfunction aboard the nation’s tallest, longest and fastest “tilt” rollercoaster should prompt a lengthy safety review at Cedar Point in Ohio, one concerned visitor said Monday.

Heather Hammond-Semak, 50, captured the latest drama involving Siren’s Curse while sitting in a car with her boyfriend Saturday outside the amusement park in Sandusky as riders evacuated from the 160-foot rollercoaster billed by park officials as a “sinister” two minutes for courageous thrill-seekers.

But dozens of riders soon found themselves stranded as the coaster prepared to plunge to speeds up to 58 m.p.h,, forcing occupants to use emergency stairs to walk to safety below. The harrowing incident marked the fifth malfunction since the ride opened to the public on June 28.

“We just happened to notice people were climbing down the ride when I took the video,” Hammond-Semak told Newsweek.

Hammond-Semak, of Kalkaska, Michigan, said she couldn’t believe what she saw next.

“What the heck are they doing?” she recalled “Then I told my boyfriend that I have a bad fear of heights and anxiety. I get lightheaded and feel like passing out just climbing a ladder. If I had to climb down that ride grasping the railing, I would most certainly have went into a panic attack.”

Hammond-Semak couldn’t see the facial expressions of any riders, but dozens were forced to walk down with assistance from park staff. The ride was shut down for nearly two hours, she said.

Hammond-Semak called on Cedar Point officials to close Siren’s Curse for an exhaustive safety review following the latest breakdown.

“I would say shut it down fix the issues,” she told Newsweek. “It’s not safe.”

Hammond-Semak doesn’t even ride rollercoasters but believes the spotty track record of Siren’s Curse should be cause for concern.

“But if I did, I most definitely would not ride that one,” she said.

Multiple messages seeking comment from Cedar Point officials were not returned Monday. A park spokesperson previously confirmed it experienced its fourth major operational delay on July 22.

The ride had been halted prior to engaging its tilt feature, park spokesman Tony Clark told the Akron Beacon Journal. The tilt is the ride’s main attraction and involves a segment of the track tilting forward 90-degrees to give riders the sensation of free falling.

“Its safety system performed as designed, but the ride could not be restarted,” Clark said. “Guests were safely escorted off the ride.”

The coaster was also delayed on July 19, leaving passengers hanging at a 45-degree angle for about 20 minutes. Other incidents were also reported during the coaster’s opening weekend and on July 2, the Journal reported.

No injuries have been reported in the incidents. The ride’s safety system had responded as designed, Clark said.

“This was a standard check engine light type of delay, similar to all of our other rides,” he said of the July 22 incident.

Footage of Saturday’s evacuation went viral online, but some rollercoaster aficionados say Siren’s Curse is a thrilling and safe way to get adrenaline pumping.

“The ride is super exciting, it’s the first of its kind in North America,” said Alexander Mundy, communications coordinator for the Melanin Coaster Network, a community of coaster enthusiasts. “It is impressive looking and there’s a twisty track with inversions that you can walk under as you go into the queue line and locker area.”

Mundy, 48, said he experienced the ride five or six times since it opened and plans to return next month for National Rollercoaster Day on August 16.

“You go there until the end of the track and there’s no track in front of you and it pauses for a few moments,” Mundy told Newsweek of the ride. “It’s probably like 10 seconds total where it stops and then it tilts up 90 degrees, so you are facing straight down and you see the track ahead of you. It’s an incredible experience. You have this moment of anticipation, nervousness — and then at the snap of a finger, you’re into it and it goes really fast.”

Cedar Point announced details of Siren’s Curse last September, previewing the ride featuring 2,966 feet of track, 13 “weightless airtime moments,” two 360-degree barrel rolls and the dramatic tilt feature.

“Record-breaking thrills have always been at the heart of Cedar Point’s roller coaster lineup, and Siren’s Curse lives up to that standard,” Cedar Point vice president and general manager Carrie Boldman said in a statement. “The entire ride is an experience filled with non-stop action, but that first precarious tilted position where you’re hanging on – looking straight down – and waiting for the track to connect will be a signature moment our fans will love. It’s a first-of-its kind for Cedar Point and we’re thrilled to bring it to our guests.”