Early last month, on the day after the Fourth of July, more than a dozen people found themselves trapped upside down on a malfunctioning ride along the boardwalk in Ocean City, New Jersey. Charlotte Hacker and Emilia Gordon, both 13, were among the passengers on the Wipe Out ride at Playland’s Castaway Cove when it got stuck that evening. 3 Riders hang upside down after the Wipe Out ride at Playland’s Castaway Cove malfunctioned on the Jersey Shore on July 5, 2026. 3 Workers prepare Playland’s Castaway Cove on the Ocean City Boardwalk before the summer season. Fox News Digital has reached out to the Ocean City Fire Department, Ocean City Police Department, the ride’s operator and the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs for comment.