The iconic Jet Star roller coaster that was partially submerged off the Jersey shore due to Hurricane Sandy has now been demolished. Hundreds of workers in the area, who are doing their best to rebuild the boardwalk, stopped and watched as Seaside Heights’ biggest attraction was torn down.
The Jet Star has been a Jersey Shore favorite since its opening in 2002, but it hasn’t been functional since October 29, 2012 when Hurricane Sandy made its way through the boardwalk.
Though the roller coaster managed to survive the massive storm, it has since been decided that it was time to take down the historical attraction. After Hurricane Sandy, thousands have ventured to the Jersey Shore just to get a glimpse of the iconic roller coaster as it sat submerged just off the boardwalk.
The Jet Star roller coaster was viewed as a local landmark by those affected by the hurricane and some people went above and beyond to show their respects for the iconic ride.
On January 8, 2012, 38-year-old Christopher Angelo climbed to the top of Jet Star and placed an American Flag on the coaster out of respect before being arrested by local police. He may have been the last person to get up close and personal with Seaside Heights featured attraction.
Bill Akers, the mayor of Seaside Heights, was in attendance as demolition began and he watched as the Jet Star was torn down by a giant crane.
“It’s an emotional moment,” Akers told Yahoo! News as he watched from the boardwalk just up the street. He also showed appreciation for the efforts of local workers who have been at it around the clock to get the Jersey Shore back up and running to it’s fullest potential.
“It took us a little longer than we would have liked … but we are very grateful to be at this point. Very very happy,” Akers added. “We always believed it could happen. But a lot of things had to go well for us, including Mother Nature had to give us the opportunity to get to this point…. I’m glad we are where we are.”
Here’s video of the Jet Star roller coaster being demolished that was posted on YouTube:
Did you ever have the chance to ride the Jet Star roller coaster before Hurricane Sandy came through Seaside Heights?