28 people rescued after Oregon amusement park ride malfunctions, strands them upside down for half an hour

Dozens of riders were trapped upside down for half an hour on the AtmosFEAR ride at Oaks Park in Portland, Oregon, on Friday, with some saying the ordeal felt like hours.

The ride malfunctioned around 2:55 p.m., leaving 28 riders suspended with their legs facing the sky, according to KGW8. Oaks Park initiated emergency procedures and called 911. By 3:25 p.m., the ride was manually lowered, and all passengers were safely removed, Portland Fire and Rescue reported.

One person with a pre-existing medical condition was taken to an area hospital "out of an abundance of caution," Oaks Park stated. Portland teens Daniel Allen and Jordan Harding, celebrating their high school graduation, rushed to the AtmosFEAR ride upon arriving at the park.

“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, features a pendulum that swings from side to side and momentarily stops upside down as part of the ride. However, when the ride failed to resume after the inverted pause, riders 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 upside-down position was extremely uncomfortable, and Harding's legs fell asleep from the waist down. Despite not being religious, she began to pray. "I didn’t think I was going to live to see it right now," she said.

Oaks Park announced that 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," the park said in a statement.