A rollercoaster broke down at Adventure Island in Southend (Picture: Shutterstock / Sue Chillingworth)

Eight people were stranded at the top of a rollercoaster after a ride broke down at a theme park.

Emergency rescuers rushed to their aid at Adventure Island in Southend, Essex when the Rage rollercoaster stopped working this afternoon. 

One of the cars ground to a halt near the peak of the 72ft-high ride as people watched on helplessly.

Eyewitnesses said they were left dangling on the tracks for ‘at least half and hour to 45 minutes’ after the rollercoaster broke down at around 2pm.

Footage filmed by one bystander showed the car on a vertical section of the ride with riders facing the sky.

Engineers at the park can be seen using an emergency escape platform to lift the passengers to safety. 

All of those on board are thought to have now been freed from the ride.

Riders were stuck near the top of the vertical lift on the 72ft-high Rage rollercoaster (Picture: Getty Images)

A mum who was visiting the park with her six-year-old daughter told MailOnline: ‘They had to be harnessed and rescued down.

‘It got stuck, it’s the big one there that goes through the loop – it goes up, God knows high, and then straight back down and then loops.

‘It literally just got stuck, right at the top.’

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Riders were reportedly stuck for more than half an hour.