Dozens of riders got trapped upside down for half an hour on a popular thrill ride at a Portland, Ore. amusement park on Friday — but riders said it felt like hours.
The AtmosFEAR ride at Oaks Park malfunctioned around 2:55 p.m., stranding 28 riders with their legs facing the sky, KGW8 reported.
The park initiated its emergency procedures and called 911. The ride was manually lowered around 3:25 and all the passengers were safely removed, Portland Fire and Rescue said.
One person with a pre-existing medical condition was taken to an area hospital “out of an abundance of caution,” Oaks Park said.
Portland teens Daniel Allen and Jordan Harding were at the park celebrating their high school graduation. As soon as they arrived they rushed to get on line to ride AtmosFEAR.
Before they knew it, they were dangling upside down.
“I was excited to go on,” Allen told KGW8. “When you get stuck up there, I don’t think you’re so excited anymore.”
AtmosFEAR, which opened in 2021, consists of a pendulum that swings from side to side. It stops upside down as a regular part of the ride — but only for a moment before swinging back.
When the ride didn’t resume after the inverted pause, they realized something was wrong.
“We were just freaking out,” Harding said. “People were crying. They were just putting into the universe what they wanted to say for their last words.”
The pair said the upside-down position they were stuck in was extremely uncomfortable and Harding’s legs fell asleep from the waist-down.
Although she’s not religious, she said she started to pray.
“I didn’t think I was going to live to see it right now,” she told the outlet.
Oaks Park said AtmosFEAR would remain closed until further notice.
“Any park guest who had their visit cut short today will be extended a refund or opportunity to reschedule their visit,” Oaks Park said in a statement.