Ariel Iacovazzi and Amy Plant
2 hours ago
Portland, Oregon (coin) — 28 people were trapped in the vehicle. Oaks Amusement Park According to Portland Fire Rescue, the fire broke out in Southeast Portland on the park’s first day opening for the season.
Officials at the scene said the passengers were “trapped upside down.” Atmos FEAR He was lowered from a height of 50 feet to a safe location at around 3:30 p.m.
“The vehicle has been manually de-boarded and all passengers have been evacuated and are undergoing medical examination,” officials said.
No injuries were reported, but the park said one person with a pre-existing condition had been taken to hospital for further examination “as a precaution.”
It is unclear why the attraction was shut down, but officials said the attraction will remain closed until further notice.
“My whole bladder hurts. I was holding back the nausea. My legs hurt like crazy,” said Daniel Allen, who was on the tour.
AtmosFEAR replaced Screaming Eagle at Oaks Park in 2020. The outage occurred at the park’s 2024 Summer Season Opening Date.
The park was closed for the remainder of the day.
Oaks Park released a statement about the incident just after 5:30 p.m.
“At approximately 2:55 pm today, the AtmosFEAR ride stopped at the apex while operating in its 360-degree setting, leaving 28 passengers hanging upside down. Oaks Park staff immediately initiated emergency procedures and called 911. Emergency responders arrived at approximately 3:20 pm. Within minutes of first responders arriving, Oaks Park maintenance safely returned passengers to their drop-off location, where medical personnel were waiting to screen passengers for their well-being.
The suspended riders were examined by Portland Fire Rescue and American Medical Response. One rider with a pre-existing medical condition was taken to the hospital for further evaluation as a precaution. All other riders were released by medical staff and sent home with their families.
As per standard procedure, local emergency response teams conducted an emergency response drill at AtmosFEAR in 2023 and implementation of that response plan was effectively carried out today.
AtmosFEAR has been in operation since 2021 and has operated without incident thus far. The ride will remain closed until further notice. Oaks Park Management immediately contacted the manufacturer and will work with both the manufacturer and state inspectors to determine the cause of the outage.
We’d like to extend a huge thank you to the emergency responders and staff who responded quickly to a positive outcome today, and to all other park patrons who followed instructions and quickly evacuated the park so emergency responders could respond. Most of all, we’re glad that our riders are safe and can be with their families.
Guests whose park visits were cut short today will be offered a refund or the opportunity to reschedule their visit. If you visited today, please keep your ride bracelet to expedite the refund or reschedule process. Please contact Oaks Park Management Office MF at 503-233-5777 or email us at info@oakspark.com.“
Stay tuned to KOIN 6 News as this story develops.
