PORTLAND, Ore. — The manufacturer of a Portland amusement park ride that trapped 28 people upside down on Friday is leading the investigation into the incident, with the state taking a passive role.
The AtmosFEAR ride at Oaks Park stopped and became stuck with the main rider section upside down for about 25 minutes, dangling riders who said they thought they were going to die.
Portland firefighters and park staff used a manual override to return the ride to the ground. No serious injuries were reported.
Oaks Park resumed normal operations on Saturday, but the AtmosFEAR ride is closed until an investigation is finished.
Zamperla, the manufacturer of the "Zamperla Discovery 360" ride — branded as AtmosFEAR at Oaks Park — is now in charge of figuring out how the ride got stuck.
An Oaks Park spokesperson told KGW that another investigator will check Zamperla's findings once completed.
"A state-qualified independent inspector will inspect the ride after the investigation is complete and the ride will not operate again until that inspector gives its approval," the parks spokesperson said.
As it stands, the Oregon Department of Consumers and Business Services (DCBS) is not directly involved in the investigation process.
Under Oregon law, amusement park operators must notify the Building Codes Division of an accident when it results in death, serious injury, or property damage exceeding $5,000. In these cases, a written report is required to be filed with the BCD within five days of the accident.
However, the recent AtmosFEAR incident does not meet this state definition of an "accident," so Oaks Park is not required to provide a report to the BCD and no state inspectors are involved in the follow-up.
DBCS spokesperson Mark Peterson said the state could step in based on the manufacturer's findings, but there are no current plans for that.
"Because there is no requirement to report [this] incident, the state may only be provided with an explanatory summary of findings and actions," Peterson said. "The state will review the documents of the park's investigation and determine if any follow-up action is necessary."
Oaks Park opened the AtmosFEAR ride in 2021. Yearly inspection reports submitted to the state show "nothing noted at this time" under the code section for safety or operational concerns.