Dozens rescued after Ocean Park observation tower breaks down again

Around 40 people were trapped near the top of Ocean Park’s 72-metre revolving observation tower on Monday, with one woman reporting feeling unwell.

According to a Monday Fire Services Department Facebook post, visitors stranded atop the Ocean Park Tower were escorted by staff down stairs in the centre of the tower. Meanwhile, a team of firefighters rescued the unwell woman using an abseiling rope.

Police received a report about the incident at 3.30pm. Footage circulating on Threads showed the ride stationary.

Last May, the Ocean Park Tower malfunctioned, leaving passengers stranded for nearly two hours.

The park’s website describes the ride as one of Southeast Asia’s tallest observation towers: “Extraordinary vistas of the South China Sea emerge from atop Ocean Park Tower, at a soaring height of 72m in the air. Located 200m above sea level, the gently rotating viewing room provides 360 degrees of sun, sea and sky.”

Commenters on Reddit have shared mixed opinions of the park in recent months, with some complaining that the attraction appears rundown.

As of Tuesday, three attractions remain closed to visitors: the North Pole Encounter, Wild Twister and Ocean Park Tower. The classic Mine Coaster and Dragon rollercoaster are closed permanently.

Wild Twister has been closed since January when 20 people were trapped in mid-air for 20 minutes.

HKFP has reached out to Ocean Park for comment.

Safeguard press freedom; keep HKFP free for all readers by supporting our team

Support HKFP  |  Policies & Ethics  |  Error/typo?  |  Contact  |  Newsletter  | Transparency & Annual Report | Apps

Make a one-off donation.

Tom founded Hong Kong Free Press in 2015 as the city's first crowdfunded newspaper. He has a BA in Communications and New Media from Leeds University and an MA in Journalism from the University of Hong Kong. He previously founded an NGO advocating for domestic worker rights, and has contributed to the BBC, Deutsche Welle, Al-Jazeera and others.

Tom leads HKFP – raising funds, managing the team and navigating risk – whilst regularly speaking on press freedom, ethics and media funding at industry events, schools and conferences around the world.