Two riders—Matthew Cantu (24) and Nicholas Sanchez (20)—were left dangling face-down about 130 feet above ground on the Circuit Breaker “tilt” coaster at COTALAND on Dec. 17. Cantu said the experience left him panicked and disoriented after nearly an hour suspended; Catalina Sanchez filmed the incident from the ground. ATCEMS responded, evaluated one adult who declined transport, and COTA said a sensor triggered the delay before the ride was cleared to run again.
‘My Mind Went to the Darkest Places’: Rider Recounts Hanging Face-Down 130 Feet on New ‘Tilt’ Coaster
Catalina Sanchez; CBS Austin/YouTube
One rider is speaking out after a terrifying malfunction left two people suspended face-down about 130 feet above the ground on a new “tilt” roller coaster at COTALAND.
What happened: On Dec. 17, 24-year-old Matthew Cantu and 20-year-old Nicholas Sanchez were stranded on the Circuit Breaker attraction at the Circuit of the Americas (COTA) sports complex in Travis County, Texas. The coaster’s unique design includes a section of horizontal track that tilts forward and aligns with a vertical drop; in this incident the train became immobilized at or near the vertical position.
“My mind just went to the darkest places,”Cantu told CBS Austin, describing the near-hour he spent hanging nearly straight down. “At that position, the only thing between the ground and you is the harness.” He said the prolonged suspension caused distress and panic.
Catalina SanchezEmergency services respond to two riders stuck on a roller coaster outside Austin on Dec. 17.
On-the-ground response and health effects: Catalina Sanchez, a publicist and Cantu’s partner, filmed the scene from the ground and said the ride stopped at about 8:52 p.m. After roughly 30 minutes without clear information, family members called 911. Catalina told PEOPLE that Cantu experienced lightheadedness and symptoms consistent with blood pooling, while Sanchez reported numbness in his upper leg following the prolonged suspension.
According to Austin-Travis County Emergency Medical Services (ATCEMS), the agency received reports of people stuck on the coaster around 9:31 p.m., arrived at 9:42 p.m., evaluated one adult at the scene and cleared the area at 10:11 p.m. The evaluated person refused treatment and transport.
Operator statement: A COTA spokesperson told CBS Austin that “a sensor triggered a ride delay,” that the issue was resolved, and that the ride later operated without incident. The statement noted that brief delays can occur with attractions of this type and added that, of the roughly 25,000 riders who have ridden the coaster to date, only two have experienced this issue.
Jay Janner/The Austin American-Statesman via GettyThe Circuit Breaker roller coaster at COTALAND
COTALAND did not respond to multiple requests for comment from PEOPLE.
Context: The Circuit Breaker is a specialty "tilt" coaster and one of the headliner attractions at COTALAND. The incident has drawn attention to the ride’s safety systems and prompted questions from riders and observers about how such delays are handled and communicated.
What’s next: Officials have not reported any lasting injuries. COTA said the technical issue was addressed and the attraction resumed operations; further details about the sensor or any maintenance follow-up were not released at the time of reporting.
