Horror as 28 people left trapped upside down on ‘extreme’ ride at theme park

Emergency crews rescued 28 people on Friday after they were stuck for about 30 minutes dangling upside down on a ride at an Oregon amusement park.

The incident occurred at Oaks Amusement Park around 2:55pm when the “extreme” pendulum ride called “AtmosFEAR” got stuck in what park officials called its “apex position” on the 360-degree setting.

The “showstopping extreme attraction” is capable of swinging people 50 feet into the air at 180 degrees and 99 feet in the air at 360 degrees with “full inversions,” according to the park’s website.

Photos posted to social media on Friday show 28 people suspended in their seats with their feet pointed towards the sky.

Portland Fire and Rescue said in a post on X that firefighters worked with engineers at Oaks Park to manually lower the ride, but crews had been preparing to conduct a high-angle ropes rescue if necessary.

All riders were evacuated and medically evaluated, and there were no reports of injuries.

One rider with a pre-existing medical condition was taken to a hospital for further evaluation as a precaution, Oaks Park said in a statement.

Park staff immediately called 911 when the ride stopped and emergency responders arrived about 25 minutes later, the park said in its statement.

Park maintenance workers were able to return the ride to its unloading position minutes after first responders arrived.

Daniel Allen, 17, who was on the ride, said to Oregon Live that he was at the park to celebrate his high school graduation and “thought he was going to die.” After being rescued, he embraced his friend and called his mother.

Most of the people trapped on the ride appeared to be Portland Public Schools students celebrating the last day of classes, said Illya Plaksey, 44, who was at the park at the time.

Plaksey told Oregon Live he could hear the sounds of their phones and shoes dropping as several on the ride shouted out for “help!”

Plaksey said: “The staff was not prepared. Finally, they announced that the park was closed because of everything going on. A few of the people (on the ride) really freaked out.

“When they fixed it, it dropped them abruptly.”

The AtmosFEAR ride has been in operation since 2021 and has not had any prior incidents, the park said. It will remain closed until further notice.

The park said it would work with the ride’s manufacturer and state inspectors to determine the cause of the stoppage.

Oaks Park said in their statement: “We wish to express our deepest appreciation to the first responders and our staff for taking prompt action, leading to a positive outcome today, 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.”

Oaks Park is Oregon’s oldest existing amusement park, opening in 1905.