One of the riders on board the amusement park ride that malfunctioned at Portland’s Oaks Amusement Park over the weekend is speaking out about the terrifying experience.
As previously reported, the amusement park’s AtmosFEAR abruptly stopped in its “apex position,” leaving riders upside down. The nearly 30 riders were stranded at 50 feet in the air for more than 20 minutes before finally getting back down to the ground.
Oaks Amusement Park shared that only one rider with pre-existing medical conditions was transported to a nearby hospital for further evaluation. The other riders received evaluations from first responders at the scene.
While speaking to PEOPLE, 18-year-old Jordan Harding spoke about being trapped on the ride. She recalled thinking she was going to die on the amusement park ride with her boyfriend.
“After about 15 seconds of being upside down, I realized we were stuck,” Harding shared. “I thought we were going to die there. My boyfriend was scared too.”
Harding further pointed out that the other riders on the amusement park ride were younger than her because the Portland Public Schools District was holding its eighth-grade celebration there.
She revealed that the children on the ride “stayed relatively calm” during the situation. However, she fully admitted to being absolutely terrified. “I remember thinking that I was going to die like that,” she continued. “And miss out on so many major things that I had hoped to experience.”
Harding then claimed the ride operators waited a few seconds before notifying park maintenance. “They thought it would just swing back down,” she noted.
The amusement park ride notably operates on either a 180- or 360-degree setting while sending riders flipping through the air.
The AtmostFEAR Rider Recalls the Amusement Park Closing As the Fire Department Arrived on the Scene
Jordan Harding revealed that she started to panic as the amusement park decided to close. She didn’t know that the fire department was on the way.
“I didn’t realize until after that the fire department had a plan to get us down using ropes,” Harding explained. “I learned after that maintenance was able to just push the ride hard enough and allow it to swing down.”
Jordan then said she wasn’t sure that the park needed to be shut down. She does think the ride should be removed.
“I would not go on the ride again or back to the park just because of the emotional distress of it all,” she added. “I do feel lucky to be alive. When you’re about to lose your life you gain a new outlook on life allowing you to enjoy every day a little more.”