Firefighters rescue 24 from stalled roller coaster at Six Flags

A roller coaster at Six Flags America stalled Thursday afternoon with 24 riders aboard, prompting an hours-long rescue effort by the Prince George's County Fire Department.

It was the second time in less than three years that passengers have had to be rescued from the coaster.

Mark Brady, public information officer for the department, said the Joker's Jinx ride at Six Flags America stalled about 5:45 p.m. By 9:22 p.m. all of the riders were safely retrieved and uninjured, according to Brady.

The riders were being rescued by the department's high-angle rescue team using fire equipment from both Prince George's and Anne Arundel County. The riders were stuck 75 to 100 feet above ground, according to Brady.

A rescue of the riders began at 6:39 p.m. At that time the riders were upright and no one appeared to be in distress, Brady said via Twitter.

A tower truck from the Anne Arundel Fire Department was sent to the park and its crew was on the scene assisting with the rescue, fire department officials said on their Twitter page.

Park spokeswoman Denise Stokes confirmed the incident in an email.

"Joker's Jinx did not complete its regular ride cycle causing it to stop at a safe location on the track," she wrote. "The Prince George's County Fire Department is onsite to assist in getting the riders safely off the ride. The safety of our guests is our highest priority and the ride will be closed for a thorough inspection before re-opening."

At one point Thursday night Brady reported that fewer riders than initially stated were on the ride. He updated that statement later, verifying that 24 riders were on board.

In August of 2014 a similar incident occurred on the ride.

According to Six Flags' website, Joker's Jinx has a top speed of 60 miles per hour. The roller coaster is 2,705 feet long and a ride lasts one minute and 15 seconds.

The ride was introduced in 1999, and manufactured by Premier Rides, according to the site.