Sheikra is back open at Busch Gardens in Tampa.
The roller coaster reopened to riders at the amusement park Monday morning, park officials announced.
- Sheikra reopened to riders
- Roller coaster stopped Thursday afternoon with 64 riders on board
- Park officials and crews have been testing the coaster since it stalled
Just before 6 p.m. Thursday, the ride stopped, stranding 64 riders 200 feet up in the air. Riders were evacuated after the roller coaster stopped suddenly with a car stuck on a steep incline.
The coaster was stopped in two places -- one just before the 90 degree drop and the other on the climb to the top.
Park officials said right before the coaster cars that got stuck left the boarding area, the ride was determined to be safe. However, something caused the cars to stop at the top of the ride.
Crews have been inspecting the ride and performing checks since the ride stalled.
The park released a statement about the coaster on Monday:
"Out of an abundance of caution, Busch Gardens Tampa Bay conducted additional testing on its Sheikra roller coaster to confirm the ride is operating as designed," the statement read. "The testing is now complete, and Sheikra is operational and will be open for guests today, May 16.
"Busch Gardens is pleased that our safety systems performed as designed and that all guests were able to safely disembark from the ride. The safety of guests and team members is Busch Gardens’ number one priority and our employees train regularly for conditions just like this. All ride attractions are inspected daily by trained technicians to ensure they are operating properly. Ride safety systems are designed that when a shutdown does occur, it is an indication that these systems are working."