Vandals Derail Skyfari Ride At San Diego Zoo, 100 Stuck Mid-Air For Hours

Riders on the San Diego Zoo's "Skyfari" gondola were stuck for hours on Saturday, January 29, after the ride was derailed by vandals.

The San Diego Zoo told CBS8 that approximately 100 people on the ride were stuck in the air for just over two hours while emergency crews evacuated the gondolas.

San Diego-Fire Rescue Department crews responded to the scene shortly after 4:00 P.M.

They remained on the scene until all patrons were able to safely exit the ride on their own after it began moving again.

Patrons who were stuck on the ride were given complimentary tickets for a future visit to the zoo.

According to the San Diego Police Department, four adults ages 20 to 24 were arrested for felony vandalism.

The men were arrested for rocking back and forth on the gondolas so hard that they came off the track, which caused 28 other gondolas to automatically shut down.

Local criminal and civil lawyer Brian Watkins told CBS8 any criminal prosecution will depend on whether the men did any damage to the gondola or the track.

“If they did cause damage to the equipment in an excess of $950 dollars, which is serious damage, they’re gonna be facing a restitution award, which means they will have to pay back every dollar of the damage including the loss of use and any incidental damages, so that can get to be a pretty hefty bill. 

Luckily no one was injured.

“If they had caused something to fall or break and it hurt someone underneath that ride or even killed them, they could be charged with murder or manslaughter," said Watkins. "There’s consequences to your actions. If someone does get seriously hurt, you’re going to be held liable and you’re going to be held criminally liable.”