Teens hung upside down for 25 minutes on broken ride; jury awards $550,000

A jury has awarded two teenage girls a combined $550,000 after a ride at an Oregon amusement park malfunctioned and left dozens of passengers suspended upside down in midair.

A Multnomah County Circuit Court jury ruled Thursday that Oaks Park and ride manufacturer Zamperla must pay Citrali Gomez-Salaiz and Evie Yanota $275,000 each — totaling $550,000 — according to local outlets People, the New York Post and OregonLive.

The two had originally sought $2 million in damages. The jury sided with them by a 10-2 vote, but the awarded amount came to roughly a quarter of what they had claimed.

The incident occurred on June 14, 2024, at Oaks Park in Portland, Oregon. About 30 riders, including Gomez-Salaiz and Yanota, were aboard AtmosFEAR, a large pendulum-style ride.

AtmosFEAR operates by swinging a circular gondola in increasingly wide arcs before completing a full 360-degree rotation. During the ride, a mechanical failure caused the gondola to stop abruptly near a vertical position, leaving passengers hanging upside down for about 25 minutes.

Some riders screamed and cried in terror, while others reported vomiting, dizziness and loss of consciousness, according to local media. Portland Fire & Rescue responded to the scene, and crews worked with park staff to manually lower the gondola and bring passengers to the ground.

Nine riders filed lawsuits after the incident. Seven settled for undisclosed amounts, leaving Gomez-Salaiz and Yanota — who were 13 and 14 years old at the time — as the only plaintiffs to go to trial.

Both said they suffered lasting physical and psychological effects. Court filings for Yanota described bruising, pain, dizziness, post-traumatic stress disorder and anxiety following the accident. Gomez-Salaiz said she experienced chest pain, panic attacks and insomnia.

The two sued, alleging the park had failed to properly maintain the ride and respond adequately to the emergency. Oaks Park expressed regret over the incident but said all riders had been safely rescued.

After the verdict, the park said it agreed the ride should not have stopped and that it was grateful all passengers were safe. "We are relieved this matter has been resolved," it said, adding that safety remained its top priority and that it would continue working with the ride manufacturer and state inspection agencies to ensure rider safety.

The cause of the malfunction has not been publicly determined in the two years since the accident. However, the ride has since been fitted with a safety feature that can return it to its starting position in an emergency.

The verdict highlights that amusement ride accidents can cause lasting physical and psychological harm well beyond the initial fright. The case underscores the importance of regular inspections and robust emergency response protocols at amusement parks, particularly for rides that can leave passengers suspended at height for extended periods.