MEMPHIS, Tenn. — The Mud Island monorail stalled over the Wolf River harbor Saturday, stranding six passengers high above the water for several minutes.
The passengers, who were on their way to a special event on the island at 10:20 a.m., had to climb up through a hatch in the monorail’s roof to a walkway above.
Carol Coletta of the Memphis River Parks Partnership, which operates Mud Island, said everyone stayed calm and got out safely after about 20 or 30 minutes.
According to Coletta, a fuse on one of the cars tripped, stalling the system. The operator changed the fuse, but it immediately tripped again. The monorail operator made the decision to evacuate after about 10 minutes. The car was able to start a while later but the monorail remained out of service for the rest of the day.
Coletta said an evacuation situation like this is very rare. The last time it happened was about two or three years ago and that was the only time in staff’s memory, she said.
The monorail is inspected daily and the fuse that went out had recently been changed, she said. A contractor was just out to look at the monorail about two days ago and said it was working properly.
In July, the Memphis River Parks Partnership announced the monorail was closed. However, Coletta said, it remains open for special events such as Saturday’s Unite Memphis-Martin MLK 50 celebration.
Mud Island River Park opened in 1982 and the monorail line has been a centerpiece of the park since then.