VIDEO — Portland: Two Teens Awarded $275K Each After Being Trapped Upside Down on Amusement Ride

Two teenagers were awarded $275,000 each this week by a jury in Multnomah County, Oregon, after a terrifying incident at an amusement park in Portland.

The teenagers were 13 and 14 years old when they were trapped with nearly 30 others while hanging upside down on a ride at Oaks Amusement Park in June of 2024, KATU reported Wednesday.

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The pair, identified as Xitlali Gomez-Salais and Evie Yannotta, took legal action and sued the park following the harrowing incident on its AtmosFEAR ride.

“Their cases were later combined with other lawsuits stemming from the same incident,” the outlet said, noting the teens alleged they suffered physical and emotional effects from the incident:

Yannotta’s complaint says she suffered abrasions, soreness, body aches, and dizziness, along with increased heart rate and blood pressure. It also alleges she experienced ongoing post-traumatic stress and anxiety.

Gomez-Salais’ complaint alleges she experienced chest pain, panic, weakness, and insomnia, as well as ongoing post-traumatic stress and anxiety.

The riders were stuck upside down for more than 20 minutes hundreds of feet in the air when the ride apparently malfunctioned, Breitbart News reported at the time of the incident.

Park employees immediately called 911 and it took emergency crews about 20 minutes to arrive before they brought the ride down and rescued the park goers.

“I’m not even religious, and I said a prayer. I didn’t think I was going to live to see right now,” one of those rescued said.

OPB reported a few days later the ride was going to resume operation after being shut down for about a week, and the park said inspections detected no mechanical, technical, or maintenance problems and the operator was not at fault for what happened.

Video footage from Koaster Mania shows just how high the ride goes:

“A spokesperson told OPB that Oaks Park cannot say what caused the ride to stop due to pending litigation. The ride was cleared to resume operation immediately, but it will no longer move in a full circle. Passengers will have the choice of a 180 or 260-degree ride,” the outlet stated.

Another of the riders detailed his experience, saying he heard people on the ride screaming and crying:

“Gomez-Salais and Yannotta’s claims were the first stemming from the AtmosFEAR malfunction to go to trial, while seven other riders have reached settlements,” the KATU article said.