Children freed from roller coaster in Anaheim

Memorial Day weekend is a prime time for thrill-seekers hoping to get a jump on summer fun, but a 7-year-old boy and a 15-year old girl got more than they bargained for Saturday evening when they were stranded at the top of a roller coaster at Adventure City in Anaheim.

Not long after the two friends boarded the Treetop Racers ride, they found themselves dangling 30 feet in the air when the coaster malfunctioned. Maria Sabol, a spokeswoman for the Anaheim Fire Department, said the car stopped “at the very top part of the roller coaster." The pair was strapped in tight and came to no harm.

More than two dozen firefighters arrived to rescue the girl and boy, extending a ladder up to the halted roller coaster car. After leaning the ladder against a railing, they secured a line around the boy and carried him down to safety. The girl then climbed down the ladder with help of firefighters.

-- Maeve Reston