A jury has awarded $550,000 to two teenage girls who endured a terrifying ordeal, left suspended upside down for nearly 30 minutes when the AtmosFEAR ride at Oaks Park in Portland malfunctioned on its opening day. The verdict, reached by a 10-2 vote, awards each teen $275,000 in their lawsuit against the park and ride manufacturer Zamperla. The spinning pendulum-style ride abruptly stopped in a vertical position on June 14, 2024, trapping approximately 30 riders. Emergency crews worked with park engineers to manually lower the ride, finally bringing the stranded passengers to safety after a harrowing 25 minutes, followed by medical evaluations. The family of one of the teens highlighted that the lawsuit aimed to secure accountability, citing not only the ride’s failure but also a critical lack of emergency preparedness at Oaks Park, which they claim lacked the knowledge and necessary tools to resolve such a malfunction, necessitating external assistance and prolonging the distress for those trapped and delaying first responders.
Adapted from: U.S. News Today on Fox News
