A ride at Oaks Amusement Park in Portland, Oregon took a horrible turn on Friday after it left 28 riders stuck upside down.
Around 2:55 p.m. on June 14 thrill seekers found themselves in a fearful position. While on board the AtmosFEAR ride, it stopped in midair in a 360-degree setting leaving 28 riders suspended midair. The parks' personnel contacted 911 emergency responders, the park's press release said.
First responders were dispatched and arrived at the scene around 3:20 p.m. When the responders arrived, the Oaks Park Maintenance were able to return the riders safely to the unloading position. The paramedics from the Portland Fire & Rescue and American Medical Response were then able to give assistance to the riders in need, the release said.
A rider with a pre-existing medical condition was transported to a local hospital for further evaluation. The people that were on the ride were then released and sent home, the release said.
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"We wish to express our deepest appreciation to the first responders and our staff for taking prompt action, leading to a positive outcome (on Friday), and to the rest of the park guests who swiftly followed directions to vacate the park to make way for the emergency responders to attend to the situation," the parks spokesperson said in a statement to USA TODAY. "Most of all, we are thankful that the riders are safe and with their families."
Any park guest who had their visit cut short on Friday will be a given refund or opportunity to reschedule their visit. If you were at the park when the incident occurred, please keep your ride bracelet to help expedite the refund or rescheduling process. Please reach out to Oaks Park's Administration office Monday through Friday at 503-233-5777 or email [email protected].
One amusement park goer captured the moment that riders got stuck in midair while on the AtmosFEAR ride on TikTok.
"This isn't supposed to be upside down like this. It's been like that for like already two to three minutes," Chris Ryan said in the post. "I feel bad for them because all the power is shut off on it too right now. It's scary."
"Update they're still up there. It's been about five minutes maybe a little bit more and they've just been hanging up there this whole time," Ryan said. "We just asked the lady at the bottom of the Ferris wheel if this has ever happened before and she said 'no' and she said she's 'actually concerned for them.' Oh, they just said the park is closed."
Ryan also adds that he was spending the day at the park with his wife for his birthday. He said the people on the ride were stuck in that position for a half an hour.
In the press release the park said, that the AtmosFEAR has operated smoothly since it opened in 2021, but the ride will be closed until further notice.
In addition, the park plans to conduct an investigation into what happen to the ride prior to to the incident before issuing repairs and reopening the ride.
"Oaks Park Management was in immediate contact with the manufacturer and will work with both the manufacturer and state inspectors to identify the cause of the stoppage," the spokesperson said.
The park hasn't specified when the AtmosFEAR will reopen.
Ahjané Forbes is a reporter on the National Trending Team at USA TODAY. Ahjané covers breaking news, car recalls, crime, health, lottery and public policy stories. Email her at [email protected]. Follow her on Instagram, Threads and X (Twitter)
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