Record ride: LAPD cop's 25 hours on Ferris wheel

By John Cadiz Klemack, NBCLosAngeles.com

A Los Angeles Police Department detective completed a 25-hour ride on a Ferris wheel early Friday, an effort to break the Guinness World Record for the longest ride on a Ferris wheel and raise money for charity.

Detective Gus Martinez, who has been in the LAPD since 1994, was on the 130-foot-tall Pacific Wheel Ferris wheel for 25 hours -- 7:30 a.m. Thursday to 8:30 a.m Friday.? It was an attempt to raise funds and awareness for Special Olympics?Southern California.

Actually, he stayed on the gondola for an extra 30 minutes.

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See the original report at NBCLosAngeles.com

?Just overwhelmed with joy,? he said. ?Never had a doubt I couldn?t do it. It was difficult, but I did it.?

The record of 24 hours 30 minutes? was set in October in Dublin, Ireland.

He was periodically joined in the Ferris wheel gondola by his 23- year-old son, Jason, who has Down syndrome. He has won more than 30 gold medals in Special Olympics swimming competitions.

"Early on, doctors would tell us when he was two that he?s not gonna walk, he?s not gonna talk, he?s gonna have limitations,"?Martinez said of his son. "That all went out the window, if you look at him today."

Martinez had food and received a five-minute hourly break during his 25-hour ride.

Donations can be made at the event's website. All donors?will receive a $10 off coupon to Sports Authority.

Once an online donation was confirmed, the donor could guess how many? rotations the Pacific Wheel would make during the 25-hour world record attempt.? The person coming closest -- without going over -- will receive a private one-hour ride on the Pacific Wheel Ferris wheel during non-operating hours with? four guests and a meal from The Lobster restaurant.

Detective Gus Martinez of the LAPD attempts to ride a Ferris wheel for 25 hours to raise money for charity, including the Special Olympics.

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