DENVER (CBS4) – Crowds hoping to have fun in the sun at Elitch Gardens Monday morning were turned away for hours because of a suicidal man.

The man was perched 60 feet up on the Sidewinder ride. He scaled a fence to get into the amusement park about 8 a.m.

Patrons waited in the hot parking lot as police spent hours trying to talk the man down.

Denver firefighters created a drop zone with soft padding in case he jumped. About 1 p.m. they were able to distract the man and then grab him.

Elitch Gardens finally opened for the day at 3 p.m.