Patent ID: 8667898

Claim:
An amusement ride apparatus, comprising; a suspended cable extending from a first elevation to a second elevation lower than the first elevation; a carriage for supporting a user, the carriage being supported on and movable along the suspended cable; a platform positioned under the suspended cable at the second elevation, wherein the carriage is positioned above the platform when supported by the suspended cable at the second elevation; and a load/unload mechanism comprising a tethering portion and a retractor having at least two modes of operation, the tethering portion being removably coupleable to at least one of the suspended cable and carriage, and the retractor being selectively operable in the first mode to retract the tethering portion when removably coupled to the at least one of the suspended cable and carriage to lower the carriage relative to the platform from a raised position to a lowered position and in the second mode to extend the tethering portion when removably coupled to the at least one of the suspended cable and carriage to raise the carriage relative to the platform from the lowered position to the raised position.