Two Oregon teens were awarded a combined $550,000 after a jury found in their favor over a traumatic amusement park ride malfunction that left them dangling upside down for roughly 25 minutes.
Xitlali Gomez-Salais and Evie Yannotta, who were 13 and 14 at the time of the incident, were each awarded $275,000 by a jury Wednesday after suing Oaks Amusement Park and ride manufacturer Zamperla for $2 million. Both girls are now 16. Nine people total filed lawsuits against the Portland park, with seven settling for various amounts before the trial.
Yannotta, a Korean martial arts champion, gave emotional testimony during the civil trial about her fear that the harnesses would fail while she was suspended nearly 100 feet in the air.
“Just the highest terror I ever felt,” she told jurors. “There’s nothing like it ever in my life.”
She described how a teacher from another school attempted to calm the stranded riders by assuring them they would all make it home. “But I knew she didn’t know that,” Yannotta said.
The physical toll of the prolonged inversion was severe. Yannotta noted that her friend had developed bloodshot eyes from blood rushing to the head, and described a chaotic scene among the trapped riders. “So many people were throwing up at that point, and I thought I might throw up too,” she said.
She also testified that park staff on the ground were telling customers to leave while riders remained stuck overhead. “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 said.
Gomez-Salais provided equally vivid testimony about her experience during the ordeal. “I didn’t want people to see me die,” she said. “It’s hard to be in a position like that, where your friends are underneath you.”
Both girls have suffered lasting psychological effects from the incident, according to lawsuits reviewed by KATU. “I carry my anxiety with me every day,” Gomez-Salais said. Yannotta said injuries from the event forced her to stop competing in martial arts.
“They had to seek counseling, treatment, and medication. Some of them are still afraid to fly on planes,” said attorney Michael Fuller, who represented both girls, speaking after the verdict.
Jaime Gomez, Gomez-Salais’ father, pressed for transparency following the jury’s decision. “We need real answers and not excuses and deflections,” he said.
Fuller claimed the park had admitted fault during the proceedings. The cause of the malfunction during the ride’s 360-degree cycle remains unclear.
A park spokesperson offered a statement to KATU after the verdict. “We are grateful that all of the riders are safe, and this incident is now resolved,” the spokesperson said. “Safety is our top priority and we will continue to work with ride manufacturers and state inspectors to ensure rider safety.”
In the viral moment that sparked the lawsuits, 28 people were left stranded upside down on the AtmosFEAR pendulum swing ride at Oaks Amusement Park in Portland on June 14, 2024. The ride, which vaults riders to nearly 100 feet, malfunctioned during its full inversion 360-degree cycle, leaving riders dangling for approximately 25 minutes before they could be brought down. Multiple riders screamed, cried, vomited, and passed out during the ordeal, according to lawsuits. The incident drew national attention and raised serious questions about amusement ride safety protocols and emergency response procedures at the century-old park.
Oaks Amusement Park opened for its 121st season in March and hosts more than 900,000 visitors annually.