'It Was Very Exciting': Engineering Student Builds Roller Coaster In Grandfather's Backyard

An engineering student from Rhode Island took the "work from home" concept to a whole new level over the summer, building a one-way roller coaster in his grandfather's backyard.

Elliot Ryan, a sophomore civil engineering student at St. Michael's College in Colchester, Vermont, crashed at his grandparents' house in North Kingstown, Rhode Island, after students were sent home due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Ryan decided to make good use of the extra free time to do something he's always dreamed of doing.

"Ever since I was really little, I've always wanted to build a roller coaster," he told Yahoo Life. "I've always known I've wanted to go into engineering, specifically roller coasters, and when the pandemic came around, I was stuck at my grandparents' house, and I just got the idea again."

Ryan worked on it every day for months. When he finally finished, his 83-year-old grandfather was the first to test out the 10-foot-tall, 150-foot-long structure, sitting on a wooden seat with wheels on the bottom.

"It was very exciting. Probably more exciting than I anticipated," said Dr. Fred Silverblatt, a highly respected infectious disease specialist.

Ryan and Silverblatt already have plans to make the roller coaster even bigger and better next summer.

"There's a lot of space, and I'll go as far as I can," Ryan says. "Maybe make it an actual roller coaster."