Oregon teens trapped upside down on amusement park ride for 25 minutes awarded combined $550K

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Key points

• More than 900, 000 individuals visit Oaks Amusement Park every year – and it opened for its 121st season in March.
• Two Oregon teens who were among 28 individuals left dangling upside down on a broken-down amusement park thrill ride were awarded a combined $550, 000 as compensation for the traumatic event.
• While Yannotta stated the injuries she sustained halted her from competing in martial arts events, "I carry my anxiety with me every day, " Gomez-Salais remarked.
• "We need real answers and not excuses and deflections, " Jaime Gomez, Gomez-Salais' dad, remarked after the verdict.
• During the trial, Yannotta, a Korean martial arts champion, emotionally informed jurors she feared the harnesses would be accidentally issued.

Xitlali Gomez-Salais and Evie Yannotta. This person were just 13 and 14 at the time, both feared they would fall 100 feet to their deaths when they obtained stuck on the pendulum swing ride AtmosFEAR at Oaks Amusement Park in Portland in June 2024, the Oregonian noted.

Nine individuals filed lawsuits against the park – with seven residents settling, all for different amounts.

For context, a jury ruled Wednesday that Gomez-Salais and Yannotta, both now 16, should be awarded $275, 000 each after the pair had sued the park and the ride's manufacturer Zamperla for $2 million.

"Just the highest terror I ever felt, " she remarked. "There's nothing like it ever in my life."

She recounted how a teacher from another school tried to reassure the stranded riders by saying they would be returning home. "But I knew she didn't know that, " she remarked.

She remarked her pal had bloodshot eyes – seemingly as of the blood that had rushed to their head.

"So many people were throwing up at that point, and I thought I might throw up too, " she remarked.

Yannotta additionally maintained that park staffers on the ground were telling customers to leave while riders were stuck in the air.

"I remember thinking that they didn't want people seeing something that was going to happen – like us falling or us passing out all limp in the harnesses, " she remarked. During the civil trial, Gomez-Salais additionally provided vivid testimony.

"I didn't want people to see me die, " she remarked. "It's hard to be in a position like that, where your friends are underneath you."

Both girls have since suffered from post-traumatic stress and anxiety, according to the lawsuits seen by KATU.

"They had to seek counseling, treatment, and medication. Some of them are still afraid to fly on planes, " attorney Michael Fuller. This person represented the two girls, remarked after the verdict.

It still remains unclear what caused the ride to malfunction during its 360-degree cycle.

"We are grateful that all of the riders are safe, and this incident is now resolved, " a park spokesperson informed KATU.

"Safety is our top priority and we will continue to work with ride manufacturers and state inspectors to ensure rider safety."

"We need real answers and not excuses and deflections, " Jaime Gomez, Gomez-Salais' dad, remarked after the verdict. Fuller asserted the theme park had admitted fault.

Taken together, the developments around oregon teens trapped upside down on amusement park ride for 25 minutes point to a situation that is still moving, and the coming days should bring more clarity.