Firefighters rescue Universal visitors from The Incredible Hulk

ORLANDO, Fla., March 25 (UPI) -- Firefighters in Florida were called to Universal Orlando to rescue 32 passengers stranded on the Incredible Hulk Roller Coaster.

Universal Orlando spokesman Tom Schroder said firefighters were called to the park's Islands of Adventure just prior to 6 p.m. Tuesday when a technical glitch left 32 roller coaster riders stranded about 50 yards short of the unloading area.

Orlando Fire Department rescuers were able to guide 20 passengers to a nearby stairwell, but 12 others in a front car beyond the safety point had to be fitted with safety harnesses and were brought back to earth using a bucket truck. Firefighters said the highest passengers were stranded about 25 feet above ground.

Schroder said the Hulk was closed for the rest of the day Tuesday while park inspectors probed the ride. He said none of the passengers were injured.

Passenger Leon Occean, 12, told WFTV the car had been stopped for some time before park workers told the passengers what was happening.

"It was like 10 minutes and they made this announcement that they were having technical difficulties," he said.

He said the rescue was a slow process.

"They had the ladder thing and they could only take like two or three people at a time, so it took quite a while until they got to the front row," Occean said.