Rescue at Oregon amusement park ride after 28 people trapped upside down at height

An amusement park ride is shown stuck with 30 people trapped upside down in Portland, Oregon. Photo / Tieanna Joseph Cade via AP

Emergency crews in Oregon rescued 30 people after they were stuck for about half an hour dangling upside down high on a ride at a century-old amusement park.

Portland Fire and Rescue said on the social platform 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 being evacuated and medically evaluated, and there were no reports of injuries.

First responders arrive at Oaks Park. Photo / Oregon Amusement Ride-Rescue via AP

The ride, called AtmosFEAR, operates like a pendulum, with the capacity to swing riders completely upside down.

Chris Ryan and his wife, from nearby Gresham, were at the park for his birthday. He told the Associated Press in a Facebook message that they had just been planning to ride AtmosFEAR when they saw it was stuck and heard people saying, “Oh my God, they are upside down.”

BREAKING | Ride malfunction at Oaks Amusement Park leaves guests hanging upside down in Portland Oregon

Officials have evacuated the amusement park

The ride is at Oaks Amusement Park and is called "AtmosFEAR" and left 30 riders stranded for about 25 minutes

Emergency… pic.twitter.com/6RYB9xIuxl

— Bobby Ellison (@BobbyEllisonKY) June 14, 2024

They decided to walk away because of “how scary the situation was”, he said. They eventually got on the Ferris wheel and heard a loudspeaker announcement that the park was closed and people should evacuate.

Portland Fire and Rescue said firefighters worked with engineers at Oaks Park to manually lower the ride. All riders were being evacuated and medically evaluated, it said. Photo / Tieanna Joseph Cade via AP

The park did not immediately return a voicemail left after business hours seeking comment.

Oaks Park first opened in 1905. Its website says it offers a “uniquely Portland blend of modern thrills and turn-of-the-century charm on a midway that has delighted generations of Northwesterners”.