Emergency responders in Oregon successfully rescued 28 individuals who were left dangling upside down for nearly half an hour on a ride at Oaks Amusement Park on Friday. The incident occurred on the "AtmosFEAR" ride, a pendulum-style attraction known for its thrilling swings, situated within the century-old amusement park in Portland.
According to Portland Fire and Rescue, the rescue operation involved collaboration with park engineers to manually lower the ride. Crews were also prepared for a high-angle ropes rescue if required. Fortunately, all riders were safely evacuated and undergoing medical evaluation, with no reported injuries except for one rider who was transported to a hospital for precautionary assessment due to a pre-existing medical condition.
Chris Ryan, celebrating his birthday with his wife at the park, described the tense moment when they witnessed the ride malfunction. "We saw it was stuck and heard people saying, ‘Oh my God, they are upside down.’ It was really scary," he conveyed in a message to The Associated Press via Facebook.
Park officials promptly alerted emergency services upon the ride halting, with responders arriving within minutes. "Our maintenance team acted swiftly to assist, and we are grateful for the quick response of the first responders," stated Oaks Amusement Park in a social media update.
The AtmosFEAR ride, introduced in 2021 and previously incident-free, remains closed as investigations by the park, ride manufacturer, and state inspectors are underway to determine the cause of the malfunction. Park management expressed gratitude to both emergency responders and park visitors for their cooperation during the incident.
Founded in 1905, Oaks Park is renowned for blending modern amusements with nostalgic charm, attracting generations of visitors from the Pacific Northwest.
