Just in time for the hottest stretch of this year's State Fair, the River Raft Ride reopened at about noon Wednesday, a fair official said.
On Tuesday, the sloshy water ride unexpectedly quit, forcing patrons to abandon ship for dry land and refunds. Ride operators told patrons that the same thing had happened Monday, explaining that the malfunction involves an electrical short kicking on an automatic shutoff.
The rafts were rolling again after "some components on the motor starter" were replaced, said fair spokeswoman Brienna Schuette. "They tested it for an hour and opened it back up."
Last week, the popular Stratosphere swing ride reopened Saturday evening after two days of complications. The 200-foot-high ride stalled Thursday and Friday, leaving riders briefly stuck up in the air and was shut down again Saturday.
Paul Walsh • 612-673-4482
