Oregon Amusement Park Ordered to Pay $550,000 to Teens Trapped Upside Down on Malfunctioning Ride

Two teenage girls have won a $550,000 settlement after becoming trapped suspended upside down on a spinning amusement park ride in Portland. A jury reached a 10-2 verdict this week, awarding each teenager $275,000 in damages against Oaks Park and ride manufacturer Zamperla, according to FOX 12 Oregon.

On June 14, 2024, the opening day of the park’s summer season, the AtmosFEAR ride malfunctioned and became locked in an inverted vertical position with approximately 30 riders aboard. Portland Fire & Rescue responded to the emergency and coordinated with park engineers to manually lower the ride, bringing all passengers safely to the ground after roughly 25 minutes.

The family of one plaintiff, identified as Evie, emphasized that the lawsuit targeted broader safety failures at the facility. They contended that park operators lacked emergency procedures for an inverted malfunction, possessed no on-site equipment to lower the ride, and failed to implement traffic control measures when evacuating the park, which hindered first responders’ access.

Oaks Park acknowledged in a statement that the malfunction should never have occurred while maintaining that rider safety remained paramount. The park stated it would continue working with manufacturers and state regulators to strengthen safety protocols. Neither Zamperla nor park officials immediately responded to additional media inquiries.