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Two teenagers who got stuck on the Oaks Amusement Park ride AtmosFEAR in 2024 were awarded $275,000 each in Multnomah County Circuit Court on Aug. 19.
Evie Yannotta and Xitlali Gomez-Salais were among the 30 or so riders who were trapped upside down for 25 minutes on June 14, 2024, during an AtmosFEAR malfunction.
Riders were “screaming for their lives, throwing up, crying, passing out, and praying to God for 25 minutes until the ride was finally lowered to the ground,” according to the complaint. Yannotta experienced symptoms such as bruises, soreness, increased blood flow to the brain causing intracranial pressure, dizziness, high blood pressure and ongoing post-traumatic stress and anxiety, according to the complaint, which accused Oaks Park of negligence.
Yannotta and Gomez-Salais were represented by attorney Michael Fuller. Fuller says he’s “extremely satisfied” with the result of the jury trial, which began Aug. 17. After two years of denials, the defense finally admitted fault a week before trial, Fuller says.
“This case was filed to get answers and we got that,” Fuller says. “We’re very satisfied with the turn out and the verdict, and appreciate the effort the jury put in to come up with their compensation.”
The Oaks Park Association sent the following statement in response to the AtmosFEAR verdict:
“While we agree that the ride should not have become stuck, we are grateful that all of the riders are safe and this incident is now resolved. Safety is our top priority, and we will continue to work with ride manufacturers and state inspectors to ensure rider safety.”
