According to documents filed June 23 in Multnomah County Circuit Court, the Atmosphere pendulum ride at The Oaks Amusement Park may have malfunctioned on June 6, more than a week before the massive breakdown on June 14 that left 28 passengers trapped upside down for nearly 30 minutes.
The document asks Oaks Park to admit or deny that “on June 6, 2024, students from Otto Petersen Elementary School were temporarily trapped in Defendant’s Atmosphere vehicle,” and for Oaks Park to admit or deny that the association communicated to the public about the June 6 malfunction.
“It is unclear why Atmosphere was reopened when the cause of the malfunction is still unknown,” said attorney Michael Fuller, who filed legal papers on behalf of Amy Yannotta, who is suing the park after her daughter became trapped on the ride on June 14. “It is also unclear whether there was another incident at Atmosphere on June 6.”
In the interview WorldwideTwo middle school students and their mother all reported that the AtmosFEAR malfunctioned on June 6, though the malfunction was less dramatic than when it became stuck upside down eight days later.
Mariah Caldwell and Kerryn Campbell decided to ride the Atmosphere on June 6 during a field trip to Oaks Park to celebrate their sixth-grade graduation from Otto Petersen Elementary School in Scappoose. They both remember hearing a loud noise from the top of the ride, “like a shrieking alarm,” as they started to ride, Caldwell said.
“I was really worried my seat belt was on” because of the high-pitched noise, Campbell said.
On the second rotation, the Atmosphere failed to complete a full circle and began rocking back and forth like a pirate ship, two passengers said. WorldwideThe girls said that when the train stopped, security guards had to come and remove passengers from their seats, and they also said they had issues with automatic metal footrests that would move towards them but then quickly move away.
“There was actually a crowd outside,” Caldwell said, “students yelling and booing every time the platform came out and every time the platform came in. [toward us]they started cheering.”
She said some children began crying as the drop-off dragged on and security tried to calm them down by assuring them it was OK.
Worldwide We also contacted the teacher of the student who was on board that day, but have not received a response.
When Caldwell got home, he told his mother, April O’Neill, about his day in Oak Park, and said the field trip had been a disaster because the Atmosphere broke while they were on it. When news of the June 14 breakdown broke, his parents were in disbelief.
“I sent her the picture after I saw it on the news and she said, ‘Oh my god, I can’t believe people are riding that ride again,'” O’Neill said. “I thought it was taken out of service after we were on it.”
Asked about the June 6 breakdown and the new court filing, Oaks Park spokeswoman Emily McKay said she couldn’t comment because of the pending litigation. The century-old amusement park is run by a nonprofit organization. Oaks Park Association.
Portland attorney Michael Fuller filed the document as part of a lawsuit he filed against Oaks Park on June 20 alleging negligence on behalf of one of the June 14 riders. Worldwide The lawsuit reportedly alleges that Oak Park was negligent in “failing to maintain and operate the Atmosphere ride in a safe condition” and failed to warn passengers of the dangers.
The children suffered headaches, body aches, bruises and vomiting after being upside down for such a long time. One student with a pre-existing condition was taken to hospital after the accident.
In a press release posted that evening, Oaks Park said that “Atmosphere has been in operation since 2021 and has operated without any issues thus far,” and that management immediately contacted the manufacturer and state inspectors to determine the cause of the ride’s malfunction.
Atmos FEAR We have resumed business todayThe manufacturer inspected the ride at the Southeast Portland amusement park and found “no mechanical, technical or maintenance issues,” the park said in a statement, adding that the accident was not the result of operator error.
However, Oak Park will suspend operation of Atmosphere’s 360-degree mode, instead offering passengers the option of a 180-degree or 260-degree experience.
O’Neill called Oaks Park’s decision to continue Atmosphere beyond June 6 “irresponsible.”
“It’s like a bad story waiting to happen, and that’s exactly what happened.”