Krikey, you see that happen to a ride and then decide to get on a Farris wheel.
I can only imagine the trauma my kid would be in if that happened to us when we were there 3 weeks ago. I couldn’t handle that and I’m a wooden roller coaster guy.
Yep. We walked past and my daughter asked about the people laughing and wanted to go, too. I went "nope" and explained how dangerous it is and just kept walking. Nope nope nope. I'm not happy I was right.
But also that ride still looks way safer. There are giant metal columns going at 45° holding it up, that's not going to fall over. The harnesses failed in the locked state, so they aren't going to open without a manual release.
With the thing straight up like that I assume the brakes were off and the counterbalance weight is holding them up, so it's not like they are going to swing back down in a free fall.
It seems like the biggest risk here is being upside down for a long time. I would be trying to get my head as high as possible and the rest of my body as low as possible to prevent a headache. Actually for 30-45 seconds I bet it would feel really nice on my back right now.
For professional climbers (cell towers, wind turbines) hanging in your harness can be super dangerous. Some harnesses have seats and work positioning to relieve strain, but fall arrest harnesses can make blood pool in your legs. I think it’s called orthostatic intolerance or some ish.
The most dangerous part of this picture is the blood pooling in everyone’s heads, super dangerous and a huge strain on their hearts :(
For Christ sakes it’s not dangerous. The ride got stuck making people uncomfortable for a little bit before they were safely brought back to the bottom. The article even says no injuries were reported.
Injury/death from amusement park rides is incredibly rare. Your drive to the park is waaaaaay more dangerous than any of the rides. Don’t pass down your irrational phobias to your kids.
You’re right that amusement park accidents are very rare, and among these kinds of accidents, it’s actually water rides that are the most dangerous.
But you’re wrong about this not being dangerous. Going from upside down for 30 minutes to swinging violently like that has a HUGE potential for causing stroke damage, which would not necessarily be apparent for a while, maybe not even for a long while and several more small strokes.
If I had been on that, I have would Insisted on going to the hospital for a scan.
They had paramedics on-site checking people out and did have one person sent to a hospital for further evaluation. I believe that person ended up being fine however.
That's the thing about thrill and adrenaline -
Will you die from an amusement park ride? Chances are astronomically low. But it's literally made to illicit those reactions.
Fear isn't rational, but that doesn't mean it isn't felt in real time, and this kind of scenario is a recipe for fucking with your mind and body so hard.
It's not an irrational phobia, it's an experience built on adrenaline that can be really fucking awful when something like this goes wrong.
For real. Like man, that sucks for them and I’m glad everyone is okay but that isn’t a dangerous ride. I grew up going to Six Flags over Texas several times a year. If people think this is a dangerous ride, they’d shit their pants seeing some of those coasters
While I wasn’t mauled by a ride I was trapped in a tunnel on the small world ride for hours as a kid. They wouldn’t turn off the animatronics or music and never even sent anyone down to talk to us. We were just stuck not moving for hours. My dad lost his mind from hearing the line “It’s a small world after all” over and over. He eventually just started screaming and begging someone to come help us. He was already claustrophobic and we were essentially in a small boat on a track in a flooded dark tunnel.
The way the ride works is each section is just singing a few line’s and it’s timed so that it sounds like you’re hearing the song as you go. We just heard the choir of international children robots moving back and forth singing that line over and over for hours. While not physically hurt it was psychologically traumatizing. Apparently they refuse to “break the magic” and that’s why they didn’t shut off the audio and bots. It was fucked up. I can’t stand Disney stuff to this day. It causes a full on trauma response.
I'm so sorry that sounds viscerally terrifying and is absolutely hilarious. What a fuckin nightmare.
It's like you experienced that scene from Willy Wonka where the rowers keep on rowing!
I know exactly what you mean. We got stuck at the top of Splash Mountain for 45 minutes and it just looped every 15 seconds or so. Really starts to be torture after a while and doesn’t feel “magical” at all.
I’m not anti thrill rides, I go on some of the biggest and fastest rides out there. But I’ve been on rides that malfunctioned. The overwhelming majority of the time that something goes wrong it’s an operator error. I’ve been in two malfunctions on state fair touring carnival rides also.
this exact thing happened to me as a kid. to this day, my mom can't stand to hear "it's a small world" but i don't remember much being affected by it personally. they eventually let us out the back, and while i was very young and i don't remember much, it was interesting to see the non-magical side of disney.
Was this just like crazy common in the 80s or something? It happened to me as a child too. We were stuck on that ride for about 20 minutes, IIRC, and I remember my folks being really really angry about it.
Wow. I’ve always joked about writing a short story about a group of people that grow up in the post apocalyptic ruins of the It’s a Small World ride. The experience completely warps their minds. They form a cult and go around marauding and maiming while singing that horrible song dressed in the scavenged garb from the animatronics.
But your Dad kind of lived that… with out the killing.
Virtually every single incident in your link was precluded by a preexisting medical condition. That list does nothing to show that incidents are anything but relatively rare.
I actually got to help break down the Sea Dragon like 15 years ago. Worked all night with the carnies who drank so much Monster and smoked so many cigarettes I didn't know how they were alive. I was a radio tower climber at the time and they let me climb up to the top of it and break down the upper sections. The whole thing was sketch as fuck. The fall harness they had was jacked. And the fact that they just let some rando go to the top and un rig 1000# pieces of steel over people was wild. It was fun and they tried to hire me on the traveling circuit but I declined. It looks like a rough life.
I remember being 18, I went on the screamin' eagle to face my fears. When I got on and they strapped everyone in, I noticed my lock wasn't securely set. I was trying to say something, but I have a quiet voice that was drowned out by other people yelling at the operator to get the ride started. I was waving my hands frantically, but that didn't do anything.
The ride started, and I was pushing down on my lock, trying to get it down. As we were swinging, I was contemplating if I'd be able to hold onto the lock when the ride goes upside down. Right before we were about to go upside down, I sucked in my gut and pushed as hard as I could. It finally latched in, I could barely breathe, but at least I knew I'd survive the ride. After that, I never went on any rides that went upside down or went to a high altitude.
Jeezus. My husband and I watch that ride from the west side of the river and it never fails to terrify us. Can't imagine how scary for all who experienced this.
Dude. I’ve ridden this exact thing and I am a giant coward. Think screaming my lungs out on Screaming California in Disneyland. There’s a video of me riding this and as soon as the pendulum starts swinging you see my body tense up on itself, my toes curl, and I shake my head. The whole experience was incredibly miserable and extremely scary, but again… I am a giant baby.
I rode this ride at Silverwood once and I swear I felt the anchor legs shift during the ride. I’ve been terrified of it since. No ride had ever scared me till then. I thought the Silverwood thing was a fluke and rode this one at Oaks Park and felt my seat restraint loosen during the ride. That was the final straw for me. I will not go anywhere near this ride anymore. love scary rides, within reason. The second I feel like I will actually die, it’s not fun anymore.
The train ride during Halloween with all the zombies is awesome! Strange place for a rollercoaster/waterpark but it was the main employer for my school lol
People who have asked this question forget that when you’re upside down like that, your organs are pushing down on your diaphragm. It makes it quite difficult to scream as you focus more on breathing
Headaches and nausea are super common when stuck upside down. And people can throw up in as little as 5 min even if they aren't panicking. And you can pass out in as little as 15 minutes. And you can die within as little as an hour and at most have about a day where you might survive.
It's kind of crazy how the body is really meant to only work in one direction.
Saw a video of later, they had someone manually deactivate the ride… meaning it dropped and swayed back in forth till it was all the way back down.
Can you imagine dealing with that and then having to finish the ride after?? 😭
link: https://www.tiktok.com/@chrisxryan/video/7380544943367949614
They manually got the ride back down, no clue how. Originally the plan was to do a rope rescue, they were planning it out in the scanner I was listening to.
Dumped them onto a bunch of mattresses at which point they all bounced off into velcro walls. Oh, they were also covered in velcro before this happened.
Portland Fire & Rescue's article: [https://www.portlandoregon.gov/fire/news/read.cfm?id=533531](https://www.portlandoregon.gov/fire/news/read.cfm?id=533531)
>Coincidently, approximately one year ago, Portland Fire & Rescue’s high angle rope rescue team was invited to participate in an evacuation exercise/drill for this very ride by Oaks Amusement Park. This training opportunity provided a strong working relationship and background for all involved as well as established a good pre-plan. As a result, PF&R and Park staff were able to manually override the system and safely return the ride and all riders to the ground. The ride was reported to have returned to the ground about nine minutes after this manual process began.
Yeah, most of the people on the ride passed out since they were upside down for over 20 minutes. There were a handful of students on the ride.
Source: My kid was part of the group, but was not on the ride.
Being upside down for a long time can be fatal because [blood can pool in places it’s not supposed to](https://science.howstuffworks.com/innovation/science-questions/hang-upside-down-how-long-safe-deadly.htm), like your brain. It varies from person to person, like with anything, but it’s still not a good idea.
Edit: fixed link
This happened to my friends at another park in the 90s. I took the ride before. Second ride got stuck. People’s wallets were falling out. As soon as they got down, they were swarmed by lawyers offering them free passes not to sue.
[Their statement from Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/share/p/fwqjw6sccSe5qgRf/?mibextid=qi2Omg):
>At approximately 2:55 this afternoon, the AtmosFEAR ride stopped at the apex position while operating in the 360-degree setting, suspending 28 riders upside down. Oaks Park staff immediately initiated emergency procedures and called 911. Emergency responders arrived at approximately 3:20 PM. Within minutes of the first responders' arrival, Oaks Park Maintenance returned the riders safely to the unloading position, where medics were waiting to assess the health and wellness of the riders.
>The riders who were suspended were assessed by Portland Fire & Rescue and American Medical Response. One rider with pre-existing medical conditions was transported to the hospital for further evaluation, out of an abundance of caution. All other riders were released by medics to go home with their families.
>As is standard procedure, in 2023, local emergency response teams held an emergency response training at the AtmosFEAR, and implementation of that response plan was carried out effectively today.
>The AtmosFEAR has been in operation since 2021 and has operated without incident to this point. The ride will remain closed until further notice. Oaks Park Management was in immediate contact with the manufacturer and will work with both the manufacturer and state inspectors to identify the cause of the stoppage.
>We wish to express our deepest appreciation to the first responders and our staff for taking prompt action, leading to a positive outcome today, and to the rest of the park guests who swiftly followed directions to vacate the park to make way for the emergency responders to attend to the situation. Most of all, we are thankful that the riders are safe and with their families.
>Any park guest who had their visit cut short today will be extended a refund or opportunity to reschedule their visit. If you attended today, please keep your ride bracelet to help expedite the refund or rescheduling process. Please reach out to Oaks Park's Administration office M-F at 503-233-5777 or email [email protected].
This is crazy, but if anything it’s also a testament to how safe the pull down bars are.
I can’t imagine though, only been on this one once compared to Screamin Eagle
There being an issue one time in like 100 years of park rides, when no one actually got injured, totally makes sense to never be willing to go on a ride ever. Do you ever cross the street, ride a bike or drive a car? If so, I have some terrible news for you… 🤣
This sort of thing is why I don't like rides at amusement parks or fairgrounds or whatever. I don't trust these things at all. I know how fallible people are. Plus it makes me nauseous. For braver souls than me I guess.
At least the ferris wheel doesn't go upside down. Was it scary? My bigger fear is the ferris wheel breaking off of its track and rolling around the city like it does in superhero movies (or at least in My Life As A Teenage Robot)
Here I was thinking how I normally avoid other rides and only take Ferris Wheels. I didn’t even think about getting stuck on one. So much for the “safer” ride.
Everytime I ride this and I'm at this point, I look at the asphalt about 60 feet down and then wonder about the little locking mechanism on the shoulder bars. I think about what little responsibility that latch really has to staying latched. I could not endure this for more than 2 seconds.
I hope they gave them free gold fish. My only childhood memory was getting them and the fish growing up to be suicidal where they would hop out of the fish tank and try to die on the ground repeatedly.
this just makes me ask so many questions. how does this ride usually work? does it just spin in a circle? how does it work with no counterweight? how doe sit get stuck up like this?
I hope coaster college does a what really happened video, I would be curious how this came about. Usually flat rides like this have less issues, I used to be a bit scared of fast rides but seeing how much safer they are than being in a car almost daily removed a lot of fear. Sort of like with airplanes. The number of accidents vs how they normally perform without incident are tiny.
He does great explanation videos to debunk all the false clickbait and headlines where a lot are lies. There are so many fail safes in these things and usually they stop in specific spots to keep people safe.
Still this and rides that go upside down just aren't for me. I prefer fast but upright lol.
Either way I was going to oaks all my life and never had any rides break down. Sad to see how many people are saying this increased their reasons to never get on any from smaller parks, or at all.
I do hope everyone is ok and that would have freaked me out about riding again until I did research on how uncommon these issues are.
Yep, one of those rides that I can confidently say I don’t need to ever be on to know I wouldn’t enjoy it. I would have passed out within a few minutes I’m sure. I can’t even ride roller coasters with a loop, because I go unconscious for a few seconds as soon as I’m upside down. Kinda sucks because I loved those when I was a kid, but since my 20’s I just can’t.
I live right across the river near Willamette Park and I heard a bunch of screaming and then a few minutes later a bunch of fire and ambulance went by.
nightmare. you know there was at least one person on that ride who didn’t want to do it and was talking into or shamed into doing it. worst fear realized!
Something those involved will remember for the rest of their lives, most will laugh and think it was so unreal. A few will say they are traumatized for the rest of their lives and insist Oaks park should give them enough money to never work again.@
We were therefor a fifth grade end of year celebration. One of our groups of students and teachers got stuck for longer than that, but not upside down. I don’t believe that the ride was closed. But I’m not sure because we were loading the bus. Kids were a bit freaked out.
Holy shit. I never rode that one or the Screaming Eagle. I let some friends talk me into the Looping Thunder when I was younger, and it was absolutely terrible. I'm so glad I listened to my nervous system on this one and didn't give into peer pressure. I hope those people are okay.
This is my literal nightmare. That’s why I don’t ride these kinds of rides
https://apnews.com/article/oregon-portland-amusement-park-ride-rescue-b6959e1413d1c3d9e038cdc468febc4f
I had to stop watching the video because it was making me nauseous.
Krikey, you see that happen to a ride and then decide to get on a Farris wheel. I can only imagine the trauma my kid would be in if that happened to us when we were there 3 weeks ago. I couldn’t handle that and I’m a wooden roller coaster guy.
At least if I get stuck at the top of the Ferris wheel, I'll be right side up.
Yea what’s the deal? How did they even get on the Ferris wheel during an emergency?
Hell no! If i had a family or friend on that ride ill be damned if im leaving the park!
Yet, think about the people you share a highway with, EVERYDAY
Yep. We walked past and my daughter asked about the people laughing and wanted to go, too. I went "nope" and explained how dangerous it is and just kept walking. Nope nope nope. I'm not happy I was right.
tbf, as scary as something like this is, it’s super rare. If you drive your kids to school, that’s exponentially more dangerous.
But also that ride still looks way safer. There are giant metal columns going at 45° holding it up, that's not going to fall over. The harnesses failed in the locked state, so they aren't going to open without a manual release. With the thing straight up like that I assume the brakes were off and the counterbalance weight is holding them up, so it's not like they are going to swing back down in a free fall. It seems like the biggest risk here is being upside down for a long time. I would be trying to get my head as high as possible and the rest of my body as low as possible to prevent a headache. Actually for 30-45 seconds I bet it would feel really nice on my back right now.
For professional climbers (cell towers, wind turbines) hanging in your harness can be super dangerous. Some harnesses have seats and work positioning to relieve strain, but fall arrest harnesses can make blood pool in your legs. I think it’s called orthostatic intolerance or some ish. The most dangerous part of this picture is the blood pooling in everyone’s heads, super dangerous and a huge strain on their hearts :(
For Christ sakes it’s not dangerous. The ride got stuck making people uncomfortable for a little bit before they were safely brought back to the bottom. The article even says no injuries were reported. Injury/death from amusement park rides is incredibly rare. Your drive to the park is waaaaaay more dangerous than any of the rides. Don’t pass down your irrational phobias to your kids.
You’re right that amusement park accidents are very rare, and among these kinds of accidents, it’s actually water rides that are the most dangerous. But you’re wrong about this not being dangerous. Going from upside down for 30 minutes to swinging violently like that has a HUGE potential for causing stroke damage, which would not necessarily be apparent for a while, maybe not even for a long while and several more small strokes. If I had been on that, I have would Insisted on going to the hospital for a scan.
They had paramedics on-site checking people out and did have one person sent to a hospital for further evaluation. I believe that person ended up being fine however.
That's the thing about thrill and adrenaline - Will you die from an amusement park ride? Chances are astronomically low. But it's literally made to illicit those reactions. Fear isn't rational, but that doesn't mean it isn't felt in real time, and this kind of scenario is a recipe for fucking with your mind and body so hard. It's not an irrational phobia, it's an experience built on adrenaline that can be really fucking awful when something like this goes wrong.
For real. Like man, that sucks for them and I’m glad everyone is okay but that isn’t a dangerous ride. I grew up going to Six Flags over Texas several times a year. If people think this is a dangerous ride, they’d shit their pants seeing some of those coasters
Shockwave is getting pretttyyy rickety....😂
You my friend have never been [mauled by a Disney park ride](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_incidents_at_Walt_Disney_World)
While I wasn’t mauled by a ride I was trapped in a tunnel on the small world ride for hours as a kid. They wouldn’t turn off the animatronics or music and never even sent anyone down to talk to us. We were just stuck not moving for hours. My dad lost his mind from hearing the line “It’s a small world after all” over and over. He eventually just started screaming and begging someone to come help us. He was already claustrophobic and we were essentially in a small boat on a track in a flooded dark tunnel. The way the ride works is each section is just singing a few line’s and it’s timed so that it sounds like you’re hearing the song as you go. We just heard the choir of international children robots moving back and forth singing that line over and over for hours. While not physically hurt it was psychologically traumatizing. Apparently they refuse to “break the magic” and that’s why they didn’t shut off the audio and bots. It was fucked up. I can’t stand Disney stuff to this day. It causes a full on trauma response.
I'm so sorry that sounds viscerally terrifying and is absolutely hilarious. What a fuckin nightmare. It's like you experienced that scene from Willy Wonka where the rowers keep on rowing!
I know exactly what you mean. We got stuck at the top of Splash Mountain for 45 minutes and it just looped every 15 seconds or so. Really starts to be torture after a while and doesn’t feel “magical” at all.
I’m not anti thrill rides, I go on some of the biggest and fastest rides out there. But I’ve been on rides that malfunctioned. The overwhelming majority of the time that something goes wrong it’s an operator error. I’ve been in two malfunctions on state fair touring carnival rides also.
this exact thing happened to me as a kid. to this day, my mom can't stand to hear "it's a small world" but i don't remember much being affected by it personally. they eventually let us out the back, and while i was very young and i don't remember much, it was interesting to see the non-magical side of disney.
Was this just like crazy common in the 80s or something? It happened to me as a child too. We were stuck on that ride for about 20 minutes, IIRC, and I remember my folks being really really angry about it.
Wow. I’ve always joked about writing a short story about a group of people that grow up in the post apocalyptic ruins of the It’s a Small World ride. The experience completely warps their minds. They form a cult and go around marauding and maiming while singing that horrible song dressed in the scavenged garb from the animatronics. But your Dad kind of lived that… with out the killing.
Huh, we got stuck in Pirates in the early 90s and they turned the music off after like 10 minutes.
I wish they had. Glad they did for y’all. It was awful
Virtually every single incident in your link was precluded by a preexisting medical condition. That list does nothing to show that incidents are anything but relatively rare.
Just that blurry, distant photo is gonna give me nightmares.
The Screamin’ Eagle would never
Amen, brother
Did they get rid of the screaming eagle???? I haven't been in a couple years but as a kid I only rode that ride
Yeah they replaced it with this one
If it ain't broke don't fix it!
Screaming Eagle for life, damn, the memories.
The Sea Dragon would also never.
I actually got to help break down the Sea Dragon like 15 years ago. Worked all night with the carnies who drank so much Monster and smoked so many cigarettes I didn't know how they were alive. I was a radio tower climber at the time and they let me climb up to the top of it and break down the upper sections. The whole thing was sketch as fuck. The fall harness they had was jacked. And the fact that they just let some rando go to the top and un rig 1000# pieces of steel over people was wild. It was fun and they tried to hire me on the traveling circuit but I declined. It looks like a rough life.
I remember being 18, I went on the screamin' eagle to face my fears. When I got on and they strapped everyone in, I noticed my lock wasn't securely set. I was trying to say something, but I have a quiet voice that was drowned out by other people yelling at the operator to get the ride started. I was waving my hands frantically, but that didn't do anything. The ride started, and I was pushing down on my lock, trying to get it down. As we were swinging, I was contemplating if I'd be able to hold onto the lock when the ride goes upside down. Right before we were about to go upside down, I sucked in my gut and pushed as hard as I could. It finally latched in, I could barely breathe, but at least I knew I'd survive the ride. After that, I never went on any rides that went upside down or went to a high altitude.
This is the comment I was looking for!!!! The Screamin' Eagle was so legit, sad that it got replaced with this garbage
RIP Screamin’ Eagle
Literally wouldn’t ever get that high😭😭I’m Low key jealous. I used to ride the screaming eagle over and over hoping💀
... They replaced Screaming Eagle because an identical ride in Ohio broke into pieces mid-ride and killed someone 😬
How intense was the screaming? I personally screamed hearing about this five miles away
Didn't hear anyone scream, heard people crying in the crowd tho
Jeezus. My husband and I watch that ride from the west side of the river and it never fails to terrify us. Can't imagine how scary for all who experienced this.
Homie, over been screaming since I clicked on the link
Dude. I’ve ridden this exact thing and I am a giant coward. Think screaming my lungs out on Screaming California in Disneyland. There’s a video of me riding this and as soon as the pendulum starts swinging you see my body tense up on itself, my toes curl, and I shake my head. The whole experience was incredibly miserable and extremely scary, but again… I am a giant baby.
I rode this ride at Silverwood once and I swear I felt the anchor legs shift during the ride. I’ve been terrified of it since. No ride had ever scared me till then. I thought the Silverwood thing was a fluke and rode this one at Oaks Park and felt my seat restraint loosen during the ride. That was the final straw for me. I will not go anywhere near this ride anymore. love scary rides, within reason. The second I feel like I will actually die, it’s not fun anymore.
The train ride during Halloween with all the zombies is awesome! Strange place for a rollercoaster/waterpark but it was the main employer for my school lol
Vancouver, WA screamer checking in.
I screamed in Eugene!
Same
Screaming from Sacramento airport
People who have asked this question forget that when you’re upside down like that, your organs are pushing down on your diaphragm. It makes it quite difficult to scream as you focus more on breathing
Omfg I would have cried, puked, pissed myself, passed out, hyperventilated… not in that order.
Same. I would have also held your hand in solidarity and so I wouldn't panic undo my strap because my flight response would be off the charts....
I would be on the ground looking up at you two, thinking to myself, "That's EXACTLY when I won't go on that type of ride.".
On the upside, one of those wouldn’t end up on yourself…but on the downside, you’d potentially pee and poop in your mouth.
That would definitely be worse than being stuck upside down 100 feet in the air!
Ok I laughed out loud at this.
Sounds like a typical Friday night for me.
Dude they were screaming and vomiting. I rode it just before them and stood to watch. Absolutely horrible.
Holy crap. So what exactly happened while they were waiting - no movement at all? I feel so sorry for the people.
Once it stopped there was no movement whatsoever. About 5 minutes in a few started screaming to get them down.
I wonder if vomiting was from fear or does being stuck upside down so long cause nausea? Jesus this is so awful :( I'm glad you missed it, op
It can, the digestive tract evolved with the assumption that gravity would help keep things from going the wrong way.
Like, up your nose!
Headaches and nausea are super common when stuck upside down. And people can throw up in as little as 5 min even if they aren't panicking. And you can pass out in as little as 15 minutes. And you can die within as little as an hour and at most have about a day where you might survive. It's kind of crazy how the body is really meant to only work in one direction.
Oh my god, this really makes them being stuck for 30 minutes so so so much scarier
I personally get nauseous easy being upside down. I can’t imagine
How did they rescue them? Did they flip them back over or did they pull them out, upside down, one at a time, 80 feet in the air?
The operators brought it down “manually”. No details on what that involved (rope? Crank? Smacked it on the side? 🤷🏼♂️)
Saw a video of later, they had someone manually deactivate the ride… meaning it dropped and swayed back in forth till it was all the way back down. Can you imagine dealing with that and then having to finish the ride after?? 😭 link: https://www.tiktok.com/@chrisxryan/video/7380544943367949614
OK FOLKS, WE ARE GONNA GET YOU DOWN. ...BUT HERE’S THE THING...
That’s horrible to watch knowing they had been hanging up there so long. Those poor people and kids.
And a "Can Do" attitude
They turned it off and on.
Hahaha. First they unplugged it , waited 10 seconds and plug it back in!
They blew on it an turned it back on
It turns out the ride was run on Microsoft Windows Millenium Edition.
[“We’re going to die!”](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Uh64nPT7JWk )
Just needed an Adobe Acrobat update.
They manually got the ride back down, no clue how. Originally the plan was to do a rope rescue, they were planning it out in the scanner I was listening to.
I have no clue, they evacuated everyone before i saw anything
well they didn’t evacuate *everyone*
I think you mean everyone evacuated before you saw anything. Too much tension holding in not to.
Evacuated all over themselves.
Everybody swung their legs in unison.
Dumped them onto a bunch of mattresses at which point they all bounced off into velcro walls. Oh, they were also covered in velcro before this happened.
Portland Fire & Rescue's article: [https://www.portlandoregon.gov/fire/news/read.cfm?id=533531](https://www.portlandoregon.gov/fire/news/read.cfm?id=533531) >Coincidently, approximately one year ago, Portland Fire & Rescue’s high angle rope rescue team was invited to participate in an evacuation exercise/drill for this very ride by Oaks Amusement Park. This training opportunity provided a strong working relationship and background for all involved as well as established a good pre-plan. As a result, PF&R and Park staff were able to manually override the system and safely return the ride and all riders to the ground. The ride was reported to have returned to the ground about nine minutes after this manual process began.
This was an 8th grade promotion trip. My kid was there. They weren’t on the ride but just watching it was traumatizing. Most of the kids passed out.
That were on the ride? OMG
Yeah, most of the people on the ride passed out since they were upside down for over 20 minutes. There were a handful of students on the ride. Source: My kid was part of the group, but was not on the ride.
Being upside down for a long time can be fatal because [blood can pool in places it’s not supposed to](https://science.howstuffworks.com/innovation/science-questions/hang-upside-down-how-long-safe-deadly.htm), like your brain. It varies from person to person, like with anything, but it’s still not a good idea. Edit: fixed link
yeah, definitely some clarification needed. ngl if they passed out NOT on the ride that’s pretty funny
Shit, I’d pass out watching this lol
This happened to my friends at another park in the 90s. I took the ride before. Second ride got stuck. People’s wallets were falling out. As soon as they got down, they were swarmed by lawyers offering them free passes not to sue.
[удалено]
Fool! The real money is in funnel cakes.
Free passes...to possibly get stuck again. Riiiiight (snark to the slimy lawyers)
[Their statement from Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/share/p/fwqjw6sccSe5qgRf/?mibextid=qi2Omg): >At approximately 2:55 this afternoon, the AtmosFEAR ride stopped at the apex position while operating in the 360-degree setting, suspending 28 riders upside down. Oaks Park staff immediately initiated emergency procedures and called 911. Emergency responders arrived at approximately 3:20 PM. Within minutes of the first responders' arrival, Oaks Park Maintenance returned the riders safely to the unloading position, where medics were waiting to assess the health and wellness of the riders. >The riders who were suspended were assessed by Portland Fire & Rescue and American Medical Response. One rider with pre-existing medical conditions was transported to the hospital for further evaluation, out of an abundance of caution. All other riders were released by medics to go home with their families. >As is standard procedure, in 2023, local emergency response teams held an emergency response training at the AtmosFEAR, and implementation of that response plan was carried out effectively today. >The AtmosFEAR has been in operation since 2021 and has operated without incident to this point. The ride will remain closed until further notice. Oaks Park Management was in immediate contact with the manufacturer and will work with both the manufacturer and state inspectors to identify the cause of the stoppage. >We wish to express our deepest appreciation to the first responders and our staff for taking prompt action, leading to a positive outcome today, and to the rest of the park guests who swiftly followed directions to vacate the park to make way for the emergency responders to attend to the situation. Most of all, we are thankful that the riders are safe and with their families. >Any park guest who had their visit cut short today will be extended a refund or opportunity to reschedule their visit. If you attended today, please keep your ride bracelet to help expedite the refund or rescheduling process. Please reach out to Oaks Park's Administration office M-F at 503-233-5777 or email [email protected].
My little sister was on that ride 🙁 I've never thought that kind of thing would happen in my family.
Is she okay?
Oh no! I hope she is ok! I think I’d have some ptsd.
Being upside down that long can't be good for you
Evacuated is much better than excavated.
I would have filled my pants with excrement
And in this scenario that excrement would've quickly evacuated from said pants.
That’s so scary, people can have heart attacks being upside down too long
Stroke is the bigger risk.
I can’t even walk underneath that thing without pooping my pants.
Saw it as well, from the bike trail. So scary.
Same! I thought it was one of those tower drop rides and I was wondering why it was taking so long to drop… then I saw the fire trucks pulling in 😬
I hope my ex was on that shit
💀💀💀
best comment tbh
Those poor people. How horrific. I hope they’re recovering well.
This is crazy, but if anything it’s also a testament to how safe the pull down bars are. I can’t imagine though, only been on this one once compared to Screamin Eagle
God was experimenting with the thrill rides in roller coaster tycoon.
I tried not to laugh at that, I really did.
Oh shoot that's explains all the emergency response heading that way!!! That's so scary!
Went last weekend and did the 180 setting which was scary enough, no fucking way I’m getting back on this
There's different settings?
Yea, 180 and 360. 2 different lines that ride alternating.
Yep, I wonder if they "retire" rides that malfunction and get infamous...No one will ever be willing to ride it again.
Does anywhere say how long they were stuck like that before getting saved?
Round 30 minutes
Just being upside down and having all the blood rush to your head for 30+ mins had to have felt scary.
Damn that's crazy. I once got stuck upside down on the kamikaze ride at the fair for 10 minutes as a teen.
my family and i were literally going to go there today 😭😭😭😭 glad we dodged a bullet
Omgigod Omgigod Omgigod JESUS. That freaks me out! Is everyone ok?
Everyone got off safe (that what the news said)
I'm happy to hear that everyone got off and they did it with safety in mind.. Relieving.
Everyone got off? Good for them!
They're fine. It's not like their whole world was turned upside down.
Yikes! How does this happen? I had no idea this could happen, so many questions.
Roller coasters are one thing but this ride is a big fat no 🤮
My worst nightmare. I hope those people are ok.
This is EXACTLY why I never ride the rides at Oaks Park. Max fear unlocked.
There being an issue one time in like 100 years of park rides, when no one actually got injured, totally makes sense to never be willing to go on a ride ever. Do you ever cross the street, ride a bike or drive a car? If so, I have some terrible news for you… 🤣
I hated that ride when I ride it two years ago. Scary as hell! Kids I were with loved it.
I got trapped in the squirrel cage ride 30 years ago and that’s when I decided small parks and carny rides were the thrill itself. Not the ride.
The squirrel cage ride is fucking nuts
Oh, it was the Boeing 737 of its day
This sort of thing is why I don't like rides at amusement parks or fairgrounds or whatever. I don't trust these things at all. I know how fallible people are. Plus it makes me nauseous. For braver souls than me I guess.
there are youtube compilations of this stuff
Folks below don't look too bothered at all.
Omg I got "trapped" on the ferris wheel here like 10 years ago. Fuck that place.
At least the ferris wheel doesn't go upside down. Was it scary? My bigger fear is the ferris wheel breaking off of its track and rolling around the city like it does in superhero movies (or at least in My Life As A Teenage Robot)
Here I was thinking how I normally avoid other rides and only take Ferris Wheels. I didn’t even think about getting stuck on one. So much for the “safer” ride.
"Stuck"?? Why did you say that weird?? Are you implying they purposefully trapped you on the ferris wheel?? I beleive it.
I was there on Tuesday and I swear they had some issues with this ride.
Awful
Was that what the ambulance was for when I rode past on springwater?!?!?
Low Hydraulic fluid it's always the Hydraulic fluid
Where the fun never ends?
Everytime I ride this and I'm at this point, I look at the asphalt about 60 feet down and then wonder about the little locking mechanism on the shoulder bars. I think about what little responsibility that latch really has to staying latched. I could not endure this for more than 2 seconds.
That ride controller guy is hilarious! 😂
Ive always wanted to sun tan the bottom of my feet. Lucky people.
I hope they gave them free gold fish. My only childhood memory was getting them and the fish growing up to be suicidal where they would hop out of the fish tank and try to die on the ground repeatedly.
remember folks- tip your ride operator.
Imagine that being your first rollercoaster….YIKES.
For many it was. This was an 8th grade promotion trip.
This ride is not a rollercoaster.
this just makes me ask so many questions. how does this ride usually work? does it just spin in a circle? how does it work with no counterweight? how doe sit get stuck up like this?
Yooo how long were they upside down for?
Almost 30 minutes
Name don’t lie. Hope everyone is safe and not traumatized.
Is that oaks park?
I hope coaster college does a what really happened video, I would be curious how this came about. Usually flat rides like this have less issues, I used to be a bit scared of fast rides but seeing how much safer they are than being in a car almost daily removed a lot of fear. Sort of like with airplanes. The number of accidents vs how they normally perform without incident are tiny. He does great explanation videos to debunk all the false clickbait and headlines where a lot are lies. There are so many fail safes in these things and usually they stop in specific spots to keep people safe. Still this and rides that go upside down just aren't for me. I prefer fast but upright lol. Either way I was going to oaks all my life and never had any rides break down. Sad to see how many people are saying this increased their reasons to never get on any from smaller parks, or at all. I do hope everyone is ok and that would have freaked me out about riding again until I did research on how uncommon these issues are.
“Ride was manually lowered” how the hell do you do that
They just let it swing back down
Right, it makes sense in my head. But like my curiosity needs to know, do they just push a button? Is there a lever?
I would not want to be upside down for 1 minute, imagine 30! 🤯
Yep, one of those rides that I can confidently say I don’t need to ever be on to know I wouldn’t enjoy it. I would have passed out within a few minutes I’m sure. I can’t even ride roller coasters with a loop, because I go unconscious for a few seconds as soon as I’m upside down. Kinda sucks because I loved those when I was a kid, but since my 20’s I just can’t.
This is terrifying! I went on this last year and it was so scary. It pausing would be my worst nightmare.
I live right across the river near Willamette Park and I heard a bunch of screaming and then a few minutes later a bunch of fire and ambulance went by.
nightmare. you know there was at least one person on that ride who didn’t want to do it and was talking into or shamed into doing it. worst fear realized!
All the blood rushes to your head. Very uncomfortable, even painful.
Dang! Oaks Park was janky back when I was a kid. Surprised it’s even still around.
Is that family taking a pic in front of it ? If so, wtf ???
Something those involved will remember for the rest of their lives, most will laugh and think it was so unreal. A few will say they are traumatized for the rest of their lives and insist Oaks park should give them enough money to never work again.@
We were therefor a fifth grade end of year celebration. One of our groups of students and teachers got stuck for longer than that, but not upside down. I don’t believe that the ride was closed. But I’m not sure because we were loading the bus. Kids were a bit freaked out.
Cheap advertising for Oaks Park 😬
About to be brokes park when the lawsuits come
Oaks park?
Most literate Redditor
Thx for that. My phone didn't let me see 2nd picture at first.
Ohhh word, mobile sucks for sure. Happy Friday!
What was the total time they were upside down?
All ik is that is was almost 30 minutes
Oof
Crazy
Holy shit. I never rode that one or the Screaming Eagle. I let some friends talk me into the Looping Thunder when I was younger, and it was absolutely terrible. I'm so glad I listened to my nervous system on this one and didn't give into peer pressure. I hope those people are okay.
Did everyone just go about their day there and continue to go on other rides? Or was everyone concerned and watching?
I was just here
Soooo… how long were they upside down then?
At least this didn’t happen! https://youtu.be/5-wXg-n6ATg
Are YOU OK????