Mom files $125K lawsuit after daughter gets stuck upside down on Oregon amusement ride for 30 minutes
A mom has filed a lawsuit against the amusement park where her 14-year-old daughter and dozens of others were stuck upside down on an amusement ride for 30 minutes.
On June 14, emergency crews in Oregon were called to Oaks Park for a ride malfunction.
About 30 people were trapped and dangling upside down on the AtmosFEAR ride. The attraction swings riders around 360-degrees over the top of the ride. But it got stuck at the very top.
Fire crews worked to manually lower the ride but were prepared for a high-angle rope rescue if necessary.
After about 30 minutes, crews were able to lower the ride and evacuate the thrill-seekers.
Now, Amy Yanotta has filed a lawsuit over the incident that saw her 14-year-old daughter stuck, according to KATU.
“I think that my daughter and potentially other riders are entitled to some compensation for the trauma they experienced,” Yannotta told the outlet.
The teen had abrasions, soreness, body aches and increased blood flow to the brain that caused dizziness, increased heart rate and internal pressure. The mom also said her daughter is dealing with post-traumatic stress and anxiety from the incident.
“...[A] lot of the kids had headaches and Evie’s was pretty severe the first two days. That’s slowly lessened each time. She still has a little bit of soreness. She has some marks on her neck from the harness,” the mom said.
The suit argues the park’s negligence is why the ride was stuck. The lawsuit seeks up to $125,000 as a result of the incident.
A park representative told The Independent they could not offer further comment on the lawsuit.
Investigations are underway about why the ride malfunctioned.
“This was a traumatic event and you know there was range of emotions during the event for the kids because there was so little communication from park staff the kids didn’t really know what was going on,” Yannotta said.
