After they were trapped upside down high on a ride at a century-old amusement park for around thirty minutes, emergency personnel in Oregon rescued twenty-eight persons on Friday.
On the social media site X, Portland Fire and Rescue stated that although workers had been ready to perform a high-angle ropes rescue in the event that it became necessary, firemen and engineers at Oaks Park worked together to manually lower the ride. There were no reports of injuries, and all riders were being evacuated while receiving medical evaluations.
In a statement shared on social media, Oaks Amusement Park stated that one rider with a pre-existing medical condition was sent to a hospital for additional assessment as a precaution. Every other passenger was freed by the medics.
AtmosFEAR is a ride that can flip passengers upside down entirely and works similarly to a pendulum.
Chris Ryan was celebrating his birthday in the park with his wife, who was from nearby Gresham. He explained that when they heard others exclaiming, “Oh my God, they are upside down,” and noticed that AtmosFEAR was stuck, they had just been preparing to ride it.
He claimed that “how scary the situation was” was the reason they chose to leave. When they finally boarded the Ferris wheel, they heard a message over the loudspeakers informing them that the park was closing and they needed to leave.
According to a park statement, as soon as the ride stopped, park employees called 911, and emergency services showed up around 25 minutes later.
Just minutes after first responders arrived, park maintenance personnel were able to move the ride back to its unloading position.
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About 30 people, according to Portland Fire, were on board. There were 28, according to the statement from the entertainment park.
The park stated that since the ride’s opening in 2021, there have been no other problems. The closure is scheduled to last indefinitely. To ascertain the reason behind the stoppage, the park promised to collaborate with state authorities and the ride’s manufacturer.
“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,” it stated.
Oaks Park debuted for business in 1905. According to its website, it provides a “distinctly Portland fusion of contemporary excitement and classic charm on a midway that has delighted numerous generations of Northwesterners.”
