Two teenagers who were left dangling upside down on a malfunctioning amusement park ride have been awarded a combined $550,000. Xitlali Gomez-Salais and Evie Yannotta were 13 and 14 when they became trapped with 26 other riders on the AtmosFEAR pendulum ride at Oaks Amusement Park in Portland in June 2024. The ride malfunctioned during its 360-degree cycle, leaving passengers suspended about 100 feet in the air for 25 minutes. A jury awarded the girls, both now 16, $275,000 each Wednesday after they sued the park and ride manufacturer Zamperla for $2 million. “Just the highest terror I ever felt,” Yannotta testified. “There’s nothing like it ever in my life,” Gomez-Salais told jurors, saying she feared dying in front of her friends below. “I didn’t want people to see me die,” she said. Both teens have suffered anxiety and post-traumatic stress since the incident, according to their lawsuits. “We are grateful that all of the riders are safe, and this incident is now resolved,” a park spokesperson told KATU.
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