Thrillseekers evacuated from Rainbow's End Corkscrew Coaster

About 15 passengers were escorted off the Corkscrew Coaster at Rainbow's End this morning after it stopped mid-ride. Photo / File

Thrillseekers had to be evacuated off the Rainbow's End roller coaster after it stopped near the highest point.

About 15 passengers were escorted off the Corkscrew Coaster at the Auckland theme park this morning after a back-up safety mechanism caused it to stop during the incline.

Rainbow's End CEO Karen Crabb said a subsequent check found there was no fault and the roller coaster was back up and running within 45 minutes.

The "double-check" system was designed to stop on the incline if it detected something could be wrong.

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"This is exactly what is supposed to happen to ensure we check the ride, and ensure the ride is totally safe," Crabb said.

"The guests were escorted off the coaster by our team members who took them down the stairs.

"The ride was fully checked and confirmed there were no concerns and is completely safe to ride."

Four of the guests decided to call it a day after the event and were given refunds, Crabb said.

"It is my understanding the others on the ride hopped off and went on to enjoy the rest of their days."

The Corkscrew Coaster reaches a peak of 27 metres, and includes a loop and double corkscrew. The fastest speed is 45km/h.

Crabb said it was "pretty rare" for the roller coaster to stop mid-ride. It was designed to stop if necessary during the incline, next to a set of stairs, and never when passengers were upside down.

The last time the roller coaster stopped mid-ride was in January 2015, when it overheated and stalled for about 10 minutes near the highest point before restarting.