Emergency crews in Oregon rescued 30 people trapped upside down on a ride at Oaks Park, one of the oldest continually operating amusement parks in the United States. (Credit: TikTok/Chris Ryan)
A teenager, who was left dangling upside down on an Oregon theme park ride, revealed the horrific moment she was left thinking “we were going to die there.”
Jordan Harding, 18, told People that she and her boyfriend’s fun date night at Portland, Oregon’s Oaks Amusement Park was cut short after they were left hanging upside down for 20 agonizing minutes on the AtmosFEAR thrill ride.
“After about 15 seconds of being upside down, I realized we were stuck,” Harding said. “I thought we were going to die there. My boyfriend was scared, too.”
DOZENS OF OREGON AMUSEMENT PARK GUESTS LEFT HANGING UPSIDE DOWN AFTER RIDE MALFUNCTION ON OPENING DAY
At least 30 people were left hanging upside down at an amusement park in Portland, Ore. (Portland Fire & Rescue)
The 18-year-old said that her life flashed before her eyes as she contemplated life while stuck completely upside down alongside 28 others.
“I remember thinking that I was going to die like that and miss out on so many major things that I had hoped to experience,” she said.
Officials at the scene say the passengers were “stuck upside down” on the AtmosFEAR ride. (Portland Fire & Rescue via X)
Harding said that the majority of riders were participating in an eighth grade field trip, when the attraction suddenly came to a full stop.
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She said that they remained calm as Portland Fire & Rescue and ride operators worked to bring the over two dozen workers back to solid ground.
The 30 riders were examined by first responders after being brought down to safety. (Portland Fire & Rescue)
Park engineers, alongside fire officials, worked together to “manually lower” the topsy-turvy ride, the Fire Department said. (Portland Fire & Rescue)
The Portland Fire & Rescue were called to the theme park Friday evening, after the spinning pendulum-style ride malfunctioned.
The ride malfunction came on the park’s first day of opening for the summer.
Park engineers, alongside fire officials, worked together to “manually lower” the topsy-turvy ride, the Fire Department said.
Medical personnel examine riders after they were evacuated from the AtmosFEAR thrill ride on Friday evening. (Portland Fire & Rescue)
A spokesperson for the Fire Bureau said that after the riders were evacuated, they were medically evaluated.
“The ride has been manually lowered, and all riders are now being evacuated and medically evaluated,” officials said on Friday evening.
SWEDEN’S OLDEST AMUSEMENT PARK FAILED TO PROPERLY TEST PARTS PRIOR TO FATAL ROLLER COASTER DERAILMENT
Oaks Park announced that the attraction would be closed until further notice.
The Oaks Amusement Park AtmosFEAR ride is closed until further notice, the park announced. (Portland Fire & Rescue)
Oak’s Park is Oregon’s oldest existing amusement park and is just 3½ miles from downtown Portland.
The small park first opened two days before the Lewis and Clark Centennial Exposition on May 30, 1905, and is one of the country’s oldest continually operating amusement parks in the country.
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Kansas football coach Lance Leipold speaks at Jayhawks’ pro day event
Check out some of what Kansas football coach Lance Leipold had to say recently at the Jayhawks’ 2026 pro day event in Lawrence.
LAWRENCE — Emmanuel Henderson Jr. went into the 2026 NFL Draft in April thinking that third day, when the fourth-through-seventh rounds played out, would be when he’d be taken.
Henderson, a wide receiver in college for Kansas football this past season, wasn’t sure which team would pick him. He’d talked with the Seattle Seahawks organization during the pre-draft process sure, but there was nothing guaranteed. Overall, he was just ready for his first professional opportunity.
Seattle, though, did end up being the team that drafted him in the sixth round. That the Seahawks are coming off of a Super Bowl title certainly stands out to him, as does the fact he’ll be able to reunite with some former teammates from Alabama — where he was, prior to transferring to KU for the 2025 season. And he’s both happy to have ended up in Seattle, and eager to show what he’d told NFL teams about his ability during the pre-draft process.
“You could see from my film, I can take the top off any defense you put me against,” Henderson said recently. “Not only that, that I’m a receiver that loves to play special teams. So, that’s one of the great abilities I got to showcase, too.”
Henderson became an All-Big 12 Conference first team honoree as a returner this past season, in addition to making the third team as a wide receiver. He added an honorable mention recognition for offensive newcomer of the year. He came to Kansas because it gave him a chance to showcase his talents, because there was playing time up for grabs, and he took advantage of his opportunity.
Henderson, who highlighted his kickoff return for a touchdown against West Virginia as one fond memory, sees his special teams experience as something that can give him an advantage as he tries to make Seattle’s roster. That he’s played at different spots there, he feels, makes him a more versatile athlete. As the offseason unfolds, he just wants to show his new coaches his personality as he puts in more work, and develop chemistry with his new teammates.
KU coach Lance Leipold shared a post on social media following Henderson’s selection by Seattle, expressing his support. Henderson’s also heard from so many friends and family members in the days since. Now, it’s just about making sure that versatility translates to the next level.
“I’m looking forward to just moving around, inside, outside receiver, even part of the backfield if I get the chance to,” Henderson said. “But anywhere they’ll put me I’d love to go.”
Jordan Guskey covers University of Kansas Athletics at The Topeka Capital-Journal. He was the 2022 National Sports Media Association’s sportswriter of the year for the state of Kansas. Contact him at jmguskey@gannett.com or on Twitter at @JordanGuskey.
SAN DIEGO, CA — A 12-year-old boy riding an e-bike suffered life- threatening injuries this weekend after colliding with a car in Carmel Valley, according to the San Diego Police Department.
The crash happened in the 5500 block of Del Mar Heights Road at about 5:40 p.m. Saturday, when the boy attempted to make a left turn from the westbound bike lane onto southbound Old Carmel Valley Road and was hit by the front passenger side of a Tesla, police said.
The unidentified boy suffered life-threatening injuries including a fractured collarbone and multiple brain bleeds, which required surgery, police said in a statement.
A 64-year-old man who was driving a 2023 Tesla Model Y westbound in the number one lane of Del Mar Heights Road was not injured and alcohol was not a factor in the collision, police said.
The SDPD’s Traffic Division is handling the investigation. Anyone with information related to the crash was encouraged to call SDPD or Crime Stoppers at 888-580-8477.
An Alaska woman is accusing the Alaska Department of Public Safety, two Alaska State Troopers and the A&E Television Network of compromising her privacy and safety as a confidential informant after they filmed an arrest without her consent.
The woman, identified in the filings as Jane Doe, says that she received death threats after she was a confidential informant whose information led to an arrest that was filmed and later aired on the Alaska State Troopers reality show.
Alaska Beacon is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Alaska Beacon maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Claire Stremple for questions: info@alaskabeacon.com.
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