Six people have been hospitalised after a roller coaster derailed at an amusement park in Florida on Thursday night, CNN reports.
According to the Daytona Beach Fire Department, the terrifying incident - which took place at an amusement park at the Daytona Beach Boardwalk - saw two people fall 34ft to the ground, leaving one of the ride's cars dangling with two others inside.
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The fire department explained that the front car came off of its tracks, which was when two of the four passengers plummeted to the floor.
Fire department spokeswoman Sasha Staton said that it was 'definitely chaotic and time-sensitive', adding: "We didn't want the dangling car to fall any further."
Emergency services arrived on the scene soon after, racing against he clock to get people to safety before the dangling car fell. Thankfully, responders were able to reach the two riders and get them out of the ride.
"Firefighters had to get ladders on ground. We have a tech rescue team specializing in high rise rescues," Staton told CNN.
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"They were the ones that successfully removed the two dangling riders to the ground."
Staton added that police kept 'many bystanders from all directions far enough away for their own safety because we had a lot of equipment and for the firefighters safety so they'd have plenty of room to work and evacuate the riders'.
In a series of tweets, Daytona Beach Fire Department kept people updated with the rescue process, sharing photos and video footage from the scene.
The cause of the incident is being investigated, Staton explained.
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According to the Daytona Beach News-Journal, the Sand Blaster ride has been at the amusement park since 2013. It is also thought to be '40 years old' and was 'purchased from a closed amusement park in Delaware at the beginning of 2012'.
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