A malfunctioning amusement park ride in Portland, Oregon, left dozens of people trapped upside down hundreds of feet in the air for over 20 minutes on Friday. Emergency crews arrived about 20 minutes later and took several minutes to lower the ride and rescue the stranded riders.
Video footage taken from a distance shows the ride halted in mid-air, with onlookers visibly shocked and stunned. According to Portland Fire & Rescue, all riders were medically evaluated, with one person with pre-existing medical conditions taken to the hospital for further evaluation as a precautionary measure. The other riders were released at the park by medics.
Riders Daniel Allen and Jordan Harding were on the ride when it malfunctioned. Harding described the terrifying experience, saying they knew something was amiss when the ride stopped while holding them upside down. “We were frightened, and other people near us were crying and saying their last words,” she recalled. When Harding was finally rescued, she hugged the firefighter and expressed relief at being back on solid ground.
Allen echoed Harding’s sentiments, saying, “Twenty-five minutes when you’re just lying upside down. You never expect it, it’s just crazy.” Video footage of the ride shows its pendulum-like motion swinging high into the air.
Portland Fire and Rescue’s Jon Harrell noted that crews have conducted drills on how to extract people from the ride in such situations, highlighting the importance of preparedness in emergency response situations.
