During the AtmosFEAR ride in Oaks Park in Oregon, people were left hanging 15 meters above the ground

One driver with a pre-existing medical condition was taken to hospital as a precaution, while the others were released by paramedics, the park said.

The cause of the incident was still unclear Saturday. Park management said it was in contact with the attraction’s manufacturer and would work with state inspectors to determine the problem.

“We would like to express our deepest gratitude to the first responders and our staff for their quick actions,” the park’s statement said. “Most importantly, we are grateful that the riders are safe and with their families.”

The park, which opened in 1905, describes AtmosFEAR as “a thrilling ride with circling and oscillating up and down movements.” Friday’s incident was the ride’s first safety issue since it opened in 2021, Oaks Park said. It said first responders practiced a rescue on the ride last year.

Illya Plaksey, 44, said he was standing in line for a neighboring attraction when he saw AtmosFEAR stop. Thirty seconds passed. Then a minute.

After a few more minutes, Plaksey said, an employee announced that help was on the way. Later, employees announced that the park was closed and asked visitors to leave.

As the crowd looked up at the trapped riders, cellphones fell to the ground and riders screamed for help, Plaksey said. He said most of the riders appeared to be teenagers.

LaVina Waters, 50, was at the Oaks Park arcade with her children and grandchildren when a woman came in screaming that people were trapped in the air. Waters went outside to join the crowd that had gathered to watch the passengers waiting to be rescued.

Seeing a shoe fall from one of the dangling rides confirmed to Waters that high attractions like AtmosFEAR were not for her, she said.

“I wasn’t there,” Waters said, “but it scares me.”

AtmosFEAR is closed until further notice.