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/ Fox 12 Oregon, U.S.

A jury has delivered a verdict ordering a total of $550,000 (approximately 760 million won) in compensation for two teenage girls who were left hanging upside down for about 25 minutes due to an amusement park ride malfunction in Oregon, U.S.

On the 21st local time, Fox 12 Oregon in the U.S. reported that the jury reached a verdict in a lawsuit filed against Oaks Park in Portland and ride manufacturer Zamperla, ordering them to pay $275,000 to each of the two victims. The vote was 10 to 2.

The accident occurred on June 14, 2024, on the ride "Atmosphere" at Oaks Park. When the ride stalled in a vertical position, about 30 riders were left suspended upside down.

Portland Fire & Rescue responded to the scene and manually operated the ride together with amusement park officials. Riders were brought down to the ground after about 25 minutes and were evaluated by medical personnel.

Following the accident, the victims' side filed a lawsuit against Oaks Park and Zamperla. The victims' families argued that there were problems not only with the ride's malfunction but also with the amusement park's emergency response.

According to the families, Oaks Park lacked equipment at the time to recover the ride when it stalled upside down. Park officials had to contact the manufacturer to determine response procedures, and the tools required for rescue were provided by the rescue crews that arrived at the scene.

They also claimed that traffic control was not carried out during the park evacuation, delaying the arrival of rescue personnel.

The family of Evie, one of the victims, stated that a safety feature allowing the ride to return immediately to its original position in an emergency was added after the accident. They subsequently questioned why such a feature had not been installed at the time of the incident.

In a statement following the verdict, Oaks Park said, "We agree that the ride should not have stopped," adding, "We are grateful that all riders were safely rescued."

It continued, "Safety is our top priority," stating that it will cooperate with the ride manufacturer and state inspection agencies to ensure safety.

                                                                                                           Jeong A-reum