16 passengers stuck on roller coaster amidst a thunderstorm

Passengers got a surprisingly short ride (and a terribly long wait) on Busch Garden's longest roller coaster, the Cheetah Hunt.

'Thrillseekers trapped 60 feet above the ground on a Busch Gardens roller coaster. 16 people were stuck for more than an hour,' 'Fox &* Friends' reported. They were stuck at an angle of about 30 degrees.

To top it all off, the malfunction occurred in the middle of a thunderstorm! Rescuers say lightning was seen within three miles of the coaster at one point, WFLA reported.

Firefighters were dispatched a little after 2:30 p.m. and used a crane from a ladder truck to retrieve the passengers. Luckily, no one was hurt in the process, but it seemed to be a pretty nerve-wracking situation.

The ordeal was probably as terrifying as the coaster itself, which launches riders to a speed of 60 MPH in just a few seconds.

The park announced the passengers were safely brought to solid ground a little after 6 p.m., and the coaster was closed down for the remainder of the day.

'Park officials don't know why the Cheetah Hunt coaster got stuck about 60 feet in the air right after the ride started. They say they are going to do a thorough investigation before they reopen it,' HLN reported.