‘You think you’re having a bad day?’

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A TRIP to the Gatorland theme park in Orlando in the United States turned frightening for a man and child after they became stranded on a zip line 12 metres above a pool of alligators.

Footage of the incident, which was shared to Facebook on Saturday by local news site WESH’s anchor Stewart Moore, shows the man and boy stuck midway through the ride.

The man is also seen cradling the young boy, who is clutching one of the ropes attached to their harnesses.

“You really think you’re having a bad day?” a man can be overheard asking in the footage. “Lemme show you what a real bad day looks like,” he added as the camera panned toward the stranded zip liners.

Additional footage shared by Moore shows the man and boy being reeled back toward the zip line tower, while another photo shows what appears to be a staffer coming to meet them in midair. Moore also confirmed the two ultimately got down safely.

Nick Cahippina, the manager of the zip line ride, has since told WESH that the man and child were not in danger. The site also reported that Mr Cahippina said this type of thing happens “fairly often,” and that employees were trained for these situations specifically.

The manager blamed wind gusts for slowing the riders to a stop, but added that due to the pair’s weight, they were stuck on the zip line for about 10 minutes longer than most stranded riders.

Gatorland also issued a statement on the matter, further explaining the conditions that contributed to the malfunction.

“On Saturday July 7, the zip line experience at Gatorland stopped midway with a father and child aboard during one of the scheduled rides. This was due to the gravity breaking system that stopped the two riders just short of the landing tower.

“This happens from time to time based on the weight of the riders and the direction of the wind. At no time was anyone in danger. Our zip line staff is highly trained to handle a variety of possible situations.

“A zip line staffer on the receiving tower immediately hooked himself on the line and retrieved the two people by pulling them to the landing area.”

Gatorland currently boasts two zip line rides at its park, which transport riders over wildlife exhibits including its “Alligator Breeding Marsh” and Cuban and Nile crocodile exhibits.