Bungee cord breaks, leaving man dangling

TULSA, Okla. - A bungee cord on a thrill ride broke, leaving a man dangling 25 feet off the ground for a half-hour until he was rescued by firefighters.

Steve Alan Stone, 48, was not seriously hurt in the incident Monday at the Tulsa State Fair. A ride worker also was helped down by rescuers.

The ride, called the Ejection Seat, consists of a two-seat chair that is suspended from two towers by bungee cords. Passengers are propelled as much as 200 feet high at speeds of about 60 mph.

Shortly after Stone was launched, one of the cords broke, leaving the seat dangling sideways near one of the towers, Tulsa County Sheriff's Capt. Fred Cotton said.

Stone said he didn't fully realize what was happening until he saw that he was suspended sideways about 25 feet above the ground.

"I was talking myself though a lot, and they (emergency and fair workers) were talking to me, too," he said. "I wasn't scared of dying. I had the utmost confidence in them."

The malfunction is being investigated by the Oklahoma Department of Labor, which oversees fair-ride safety.

Don Hankins, senior amusement ride inspector and assistant director for the department's Safety Standards Division, said the ride has four bungee cords, all of which were replaced Saturday.

Although the bungee cord broke, State Fair Manager Amber Phillips said, "the ride's rip cord -- a redundant safety device -- operated exactly as designed, averting any serious injuries."