Approximately 30 riders were rescued after being stuck upside down on a ride at Oaks Amusement Park in Portland, Oregon, on June 14, 2024. Portland Fire & Rescue
Almost 30 people were rescued and medically evaluated after being stuck hanging upside down on a ride at an amusement park in Portland.
The “AtmosFEAR” ride at Oaks Amusement Park “stopped at the apex position while operating in the 360-degree setting, suspending 28 riders upside down,” the park wrote on X.
Portland Fire & Rescue responded around 3:15 p.m. local time after the ride got stuck, according to a post on X.
“Portland Fire is en route to Oaks Park for a ride that is stuck, with multiple riders. At this point there are no indications of injury,” the fire department said.
Daniel Allen, who was on the ride when it stopped, told CNN affiliate KATU that the restriction of the harness on his chest made it difficult for him to breathe because he has asthma.
“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,” Allen said.
Portland Fire said it worked with park engineers to manually lower the ride, but also prepared the high angle rope rescue team “to affect rescues with the ride stuck, as is, if they are unable to manually lower the ride.”
The ride was manually lowered around 3:24 p.m., according to the fire department. The riders were then evacuated from the ride and medically evaluated. One rider was transported to the hospital for further evaluation and the others were released by medics, according to the park.
The AtmosFEAR ride, in which riders can choose to spin either 360 or 180 degrees, has been closed until further notice, according to the park’s website. It has been in operation since 2021 and the park had no issues with it, according to the statement from the park. The park said it will work with the manufacturer and state inspectors to identify what caused the incident.
Friday was the opening day for the 2024 season of the amusement park, according to the park’s Facebook page. The park is located just south of downtown Portland along the Willamette River.
