Oregon, US

Guests at Oregon's Oaks Park experienced a nightmare on Friday (June 14) when a popular ride malfunctioned leaving them hanging upside down mid-air. 

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The incident occurred on the "AtmosFEAR" ride, a spinning pendulum attraction, during the park's first day of the summer season. Portland Fire and Rescue announced on social media that they were dispatched to the scene to assist the trapped riders.

Approximately 30 people found themselves in a precarious position as the ride stalled and suspended them vertically.

One Chris Ryan, who captured video footage of the incident, expressed his shock, stating, "This isn't supposed to be like this." He noted that a park employee mentioned this was an unprecedented occurrence at Oaks Park.

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Ryan added, "That is actually f--king terrifying. I hope those people are okay."

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Park engineers and fire officials collaborated to manually lower the ride and safely evacuate the riders. A spokesperson for the Fire Bureau confirmed, "The ride has been manually lowered, and all riders are now being evacuated and medically evaluated."

While initial reports suggested no serious injuries, the cause of the malfunction remains unknown and under investigation. Oaks Park, Oregon’s oldest amusement park, has not commented on the incident. 

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Situated just 3.5 miles from downtown Portland, Oaks Park has been a local landmark since it first opened on May 30, 1905. The park is renowned for being one of the oldest continuously operating amusement parks in the United States.

Screaming and crying 

One rider shared with a news outlet that the atmosphere was chaotic and there was a lot of screaming as people were dangling upside down mid-air.

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Daniel Allen who was on the ride reportedly said, "I was crying, not of joy, not of anything, I was just crying. I was more happy, I was alive. I don't think I've ever appreciated my life more. This is really an acknowledgement moment for me." 

(With inputs from agencies)