19 Rescued From Cancún Ferris Wheel Power Outage

Cancún, Mexico — Nineteen individuals, including eight minors, were successfully rescued after becoming trapped on a Ferris wheel at the Plaza La Isla shopping center in Cancún’s Hotel Zone on Monday evening. The incident, caused by a power outage, required a manual operation to lower the ride and lasted for nearly an hour and a half.

The failure occurred at approximately 7:40 p.m. on August 18, reportedly due to one of the frequent power outages that affect the city. Citizens and tourists were left stranded at a significant height when the ride lost electrical power.

Family members of those trapped and employees of Plaza La Isla placed calls to the 911 emergency number to request assistance from the appropriate authorities. In response, rescue workers, firefighters, and elements of Civil Protection were dispatched to the scene located at kilometer 12.5 of Boulevard Kukulcán.

Ana Paty Peralta, the municipal president of Benito Juárez, which encompasses Cancún, stated on her social media, “We immediately activated security and response protocols with the intervention of Cancún Firefighters, Cancún Civil Protection, and rescuers, following the situation registered on the Ferris wheel of a commercial plaza in the Hotel Zone. All individuals at the site are safe.”

Antonio Riveroll, head of Civil Protection for Benito Juárez, provided further details, confirming the incident was triggered by an electrical failure. “The incident is that the plaza was left without light; there was a failure in the electrical supply. The reason for the failure? We truly do not know. We do not know if it is an issue with the plaza or with the Ferris wheel itself. Nineteen people were trapped on the wheel, or rather, 19 people who were enjoying the ride were left without power,” the official clarified.

Aquileo Cervantes, Director of Firefighters, reported that among the 19 people rescued, two suffered nervous crises due to the fright of being trapped at a height. The group consisted of 11 adults and eight minors.

The process of manually lowering the massive ride was time-consuming. The last person was reported to have been safely brought down at 9:17 p.m., meaning the entire operation spanned 77 minutes.

Director Riveroll explained the procedure, stating, “We believe that due to the voltage spikes and drops, the mechanical ride completely locks up. Then the wheel no longer functions, and what must be done is to lower the people manually. We received the report at approximately 7:30, 7:40, and the last person was reported to have gotten off at 9:17. Remember that it is done manually; you have to turn an immense wheel, and they are lowered very carefully, person by person, capsule by capsule.”

When questioned about potential sanctions for Plaza La Isla, officials indicated that any decision would await the results of technical inspections. The cause must be confirmed to determine if a fine or other penalty would be applied to the Cancún shopping center.

The event was documented in videos and social media posts that circulated online, drawing public attention to the incident.