Riders left dangling as UK's first VR rollercoaster stops in mid air

LONDON -- Galactica, the UK's first virtual reality rollercoaster, gave passengers an even more unique experience Monday when it ground to a halt halfway round the track.

The attraction at Alton Towers in Staffordshire, which opened to much fanfare in March, stopped high above the ground shortly after departing the base station, leaving riders dangling for some 30 minutes.

The park said that water on a sensor caused the ride to come to a stop.

Passengers tweeted about their experience from the ride itself and shortly after the experience.

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One, Meg O'Dea, said that the experience was "terrifying" until staff told them what was happening.

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“On the afternoon of 2nd May, heavy rain obscured a sensor on Galactica which meant that the ride was automatically stopped," a statement from the park emailed to Mashable said.

"This is a standard safety feature on this ride and the ride was working exactly as it is designed to do. The health and safety of our guests is our number one priority and our team followed standard procedures to get the guests off as quickly and as safely as possible. The ride re-opened.”

Galactica races round 840 metres of track at speeds of up to 75 km per hour over 189 seconds, sending riders upside down as they whizz through virtual galaxies.

Passengers wear special headsets built around Samsung Gear VR devices, which present audio visual experiences in sync with what their bodies are going through.

Mashable visited Alton Towers for a preview ride before it opened.

Alton Towers has had a tumultuous year. Last June, four people were seriously injured when a carriage on the Smiler rider smashed into another empty carriage. Two people ended up having legs amputated.

Last month, the park's owner Merlin Entertainments admitted breaching health and safety laws over the incident and is expecting a hefty fine when it appears at Stafford Crown Court on May 20.

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