Amusement park visitors stranded 300 feet in the air after ride breaks down

People pictured on the Windseeker ride at Knott's Berry Farm are stuck a few hundred feet off the ground. (AP)

Visitors to Southern California's 'Knott's Berry Farm' amusement park didn't get quite the ride they were expecting when they boarded an attraction known as the Windseeker.

The riders should have been swiftly lifted into the air and then whirled around at dizzying speeds.

Instead, however, the ride promptly broke down, leaving the 20 passengers stranded 300 feet above the ground.

Three hours later park officials finally managed to fix the ride and lower the by now far from exhilarated riders to the ground.