Roller coasters are scary enough when they’re working properly. But in November 2024, an Arizona rider’s roller coaster nightmare made headlines.

Ricky admits, “It was a scary moment,” when he heard his seat belt click open. He was on the Desert Storm at Castles N’ Coasters in Phoenix, Arizona. That ride has padded metal lap bars that click down into place to keep passengers from flying out of their seats. Ricky suspects the attendant didn’t properly latch or double-check his restraint.

“We were right about to the top when that happened. So I had a split decision to either decide to stay on the roller coaster and hope I stay in, or get out.”

Surviving a dangerous roller coaster malfunction

Ricky’s choice: Get the heck out. He was able to slide along the seat and step up onto the emergency staircase that runs along the top of the coaster. Seconds after he stepped away from the roller coaster, it blasted down the hill, inverting on two separate corkscrews before coming to a stop. All the other passengers’ restraints held them in place fine.

As Ricky walked down the emergency staircase, he had a sobering realization. “I’m thankful that it was me, because if it was one of the 10 or 11-year-olds that were going through that, I don’t know that they would have jumped out of a moving roller coaster to save themselves.”

The passenger filed a complaint with Castles N’ Coasters. It turns out that just one year prior, the Desert Storm had broken down completely, trapping passengers who had to wait for firefighters to rescue them. Though he’s not sharing his last name, Ricky’s been on the news to share his footage—and his warning. “Luckily, I’m here to tell my story, and the only thing I can do is try to spread awareness.”

You can see the footage in the video embedded below: