Approximately 30 riders were stuck inverted until assistance arrived.
A malfunction at Oaks Park, Oregon, left riders dangling upside down on the “AtmosFEAR” attraction Friday evening. The pendulum-style ride reportedly malfunctioned on the park’s season opening day, according to Portland Fire and Rescue, who responded to the incident.
Approximately 30 riders were stuck inverted until assistance arrived. Footage captured by Chris Ryan shows the ride car suspended vertically, the Fox News reported.
“This isn’t supposed to be like this,” he said, showing footage of the upside ride with parkgoers gathered around at the base.
According to Chris Ryan, a park employee remarked that this was an unprecedented incident at the park.
“That is f–king terrifying,” he said. “I hope those people are okay.”
One rider told KATU News that when everyone was stuck upside down, there was a lot of screaming and crying.
“I was crying, not of joy, not of anything, I was just crying. I was more happy, I was alive. I don’t think I’ve ever appreciated my life more. This is really an acknowledgement moment for me,” said Daniel Allen who was on the ride when it stopped.
Park engineers, alongside fire officials, worked together to “manually lower” the topsy-turvy ride, the department said.
Fire department officials reported that evacuation and medical evaluation of the riders were underway.
“The ride has been manually lowered, and all riders are now being evacuated and medically evaluated,” officials said.
Firefighters at the scene initially reported no serious injuries among the riders. The cause of the AtmosFEAR malfunction remains under investigation.
As an aside, Oaks Park holds the distinction of being Oregon’s oldest operating amusement park, conveniently located just 3.5 miles from downtown Portland.
