[10] The bodies were badly disfigured from crush and compression injuries. Michael Cook, brother of Cindy, said his grief over his sister's death had resulted in the loss of his long-term partner, he had become an alcoholic and was suicidal. Park operators stopped the ride and started draining the river, over 7 paramedic crews responded to the 000 call along with firefighters and police. Those on the second raft were not so lucky as it was dragged upright, forcing everyone to either fall out or become trapped between it and the conveyor mechanism. Then chief executive Deborah Thomas bristled at a press conference when asked whether she deserved her annual bonus. died almost instantly after the Thunder River Rapids Ride rafts collided, an inquiry heard in 2018. A band of abrasions and bruising were found across the upper and mid trunk, as well as the corresponding area across the left upper arm. Tributes to the victims outside Dreamworld. A Dreamworld promotion for the ride describes people speeding up to 45km/h through turbulent rapids. Stephen Buss was operating the Thunder River Rapids ride in 2014 when two rafts collided in similar fashion to the incident. Ardent Leisure CEO John Osborne (left) and Chairman Gary Weiss (right) leave Brisbane Magistrates Court on Monday after hearing the coroner's scathing report. Welcome to /r/submechanophobia; the fear of partially or fully submerged man-made objects, Press J to jump to the feed. The moment four people were killed in a horrific accident on the Thunder River Rapids ride at Dreamland on the Gold Coast was captured on CCTV. WebTHE panicked voice saying there was a "raft in the conveyor" of the Thunder River Rapids ride was Dreamworld employee Nigel Irwin's first indication something disastrous had happe You can change your choices at any time by clicking on the 'Privacy dashboard' links on our sites and apps. The details of an earlier collision between empty rafts on a Dreamworld ride on which four people would die in 2016 are set to be revealed at an inquest into the fatal incident. A second raft collided with the first raft causing it to flip. The Thunder River Rapids ride at Dreamworld has been closed following the deaths Two men and two women have been killed on a ride at a theme park on Australia's east coast. Wide gaps on the wooden slats meant some passengers were thrown into the internal conveyor mechanism. Oct 25, 2016. The raft flipped over and the four adults were more than likely killed instantly as they were crushed by the machinery. According to a Queensland Coroner's report handed down in Brisbane, on Monday, they died from severe internal and external injuries. Home; News. Monday is the fifth year anniversary of a devastating theme park tragedy which claimed the lives of Kate Goodchild, Luke Dorsett, Roozbeh Araghi and Cindy Low. They were reportedly both physically unharmed however they were sent to hospital and offered counselling. "Such a culpable culture can exist only when leadership from the board down are careless in respect of safety. As the raft went up the conveyor belt, it collided three times with another raft that was stuck in low water (via The Guardian). [21][22] However, it was later reopened on 26 October after a review and safety check was completed. We are deeply shocked and saddened by the tragic incident; our hearts and thoughts go out to the families involved and their loved ones. The inquest into the deaths of four people on the Thunder River Rapids ride at Dreamworld has been shown CCTV of the tragedy. The bodies were so disfigured, that there was nothing first responders could have done to save them (viaThe New Zealand Herald). Dreamworld visitor Lisa Walker said the Thunder River Rapids ride had broken down earlier in the day. "It had broken down and we went back a couple of times to this particular ride," she said. This continued movement pulled the raft that had the four adults (names mentioned above) and two kids toward the mechanism. Kay Dibben Court reporter 2 min read They were killed when two rafts collided, flipping them onto a mechanical conveyer belt. He said he realised the gravity of the situation the moment he arrived on the scene. When it occurred in late 2016, Ardent Leisure became a text-book example of how not to deal with a crisis. Mar 29, 2009. Rebecca Ramsey, a safety officer also working on the day of the 2016 incident, is also expected to give evidence. A pair of children miraculously managed to survive the fatal incident at Dreamworld Australia, which was caused by the Thunder River Rapids ride malfunctioning. Dreamworld visitor Lisa Walker said the Thunder River Rapids ride had broken down earlier in the day. The grieving families of the victims also delivered statements to the court. They saw first-hand the grief caused by a company that dropped the ball on safety. [16] The 28 October reopening was cancelled on 27 October. Approximately one minute later, another raft carrying six passengers moved down the conveyor and collided with the first stranded raft. They also appointed a former Qantas safety executive Geoff Sartori, as safety adviser to the Ardent Leisure board. The three safety officers were part of Dreamworld's medical team and were called as soon as the ride flipped, crushing the four victims between the wooden conveyor belt and the raft. The fatal incident occurred after a water pump failed, dropping water levels and leaving a raft stranded on a conveyor belt. #14. So has former Wallaby and fomer Bank of Queensland chairman Roger Davis, who chaired the company's safety committee at the time. There had been serious incidents where rafts had also flipped in 2001, 2004, 2005, 2008 and 2014, but no action was taken to fix the fundamental problem. Attractions ranges from thrill rides such as The Claw and Pandamonium to family and kids attractions such as the Dreamworld Express and Sky Voyager.Among the 40+ attractions includes the world's Edit: Looks like two were crushed & the other two drowned after becoming stuck under the overturned raft if I'm not mistaken. [14], Dreamworld announced that the park would reopen on 28 October for a special memorial service for the victims. A band of abrasions and bruising were found across the upper and mid trunk, as well as the corresponding area across the left upper arm. Riders board one of several six-person circular rafts and can be as young as two years-old. The water pump on the Thunder River Rapids ride would fail for a third time that day, but this time with fatal consequences. The Thunder River Rapids Ride is Australias only river rapids ride and opened in December 1986. Mail. This ended up stranding the empty raft that the doomed raft eventually collided with. This means that we may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. A police officer who was exposed to four dead bodies after the Dreamworld Thunder River Rapids ride tragedy in 2016 is suing the theme parks parent company. The direct cause of the disaster was a water pump malfunction that caused low water levels (via The Guardian). The biggest thrill was you might get a bit wet. In 2020, Ardent Leisure, Dreamworld's parent company, was fined $2.5 million for the deaths of the four adults on the raft. draining the river, over 7 paramedic crews responded to the 000 call along with firefighters and police. Tweet. WebABOUT 2.15pm on Tuesday, a man called Ben was crossing a footbridge above Dreamworlds Thunder River Rapid Ride when he glanced down at a raft floating by. The other two passengers, both children, were able to climb out of the raft, still in its vertical orientation, to nearby platforms once the conveyor had been shut down by ride staff. A group of adults were crushed to death as their lazy river raft flipped on its side after smashing into another. But he said he had never been told explicitly he could not attend to safety issues due to monetary factors. "Talk about staff having to pee at their rides, leaving their rides unattended and even being hospitalised with a kidney infection because of personals (sic) taking too long," he wrote. "Ms Turner was held dangling in her seat by the velcro seatbelt and Roozi Araghi and Cindy Low seated at the rear of the raft were pulled into the moving components.". [citation needed]. The coroner referred his brief of evidence over a six-week coronial inquest to the Office of Industrial Relations saying it would be up to them whether the company should be charged. A pair of children miraculously managed to survive the fatal incident at Dreamworld Australia, which was caused by the Thunder River Rapids ride malfunctioning. The inquest into the deaths of four people on the Thunder River Rapids ride at Dreamworld has been shown CCTV of the tragedy. (Supplied) 'Our heart aches daily' The families of the victims were invited by the coroner to address the court before the findings were handed down. WebDreamworld is a theme park and zoo situated on the Gold Coast in Queensland.It is Australia's biggest theme park with over 40 rides and attractions. Sign up to the Daily Star's newsletter. On 9 November 2016, Ardent Leisures' CEO announced that the ride would not reopen, and was to be demolished. Four former Dreamworld workers are suing the Gold Coast theme park, two years after they witnessed the horror of four people dying on the Thunder River Rapids ride. Mr Clark was rostered on as safety officer, stationed just 30 metres away from the entrance to the Thunder River Rapids ride on the day of the incident. "Dreamworld's Thunder River Rapids Ride to be demolished after theme park deaths", "Dreamworld's Thunder River Rapids ride that killed four people to be demolished", "Dreamworld's rapids ride different from others around the world", "Thunder River Rapids POV - Dreamworld, Australia", "Dreamworld owner fined $3.6m over deaths of four people on Thunder River Rapids ride", "Dreamworld: Four people killed on Thunder River Rapids ride at Gold Coast theme park", "Dreamworld tragedy: 'miracle escape' for two children on fatal theme park ride", "Inquest into the deaths of Kate Goodchild, Luke Dorsett, Cindy Low & Roozbeh Araghi at Dreamworld, October 2016", "The horrific images Dreamworld first responders saw on that disastrous Thunder River Rapids ride", "Gold Coast's BIGGEST Theme Park | Dreamworld", "Dreamworld to reopen on Friday for memorial service after ride tragedy", "Dreamworld accident: Qld Police to meet with theme park over reopening", "Dreamworld's grim reopening cancelled at last minute", "Malcolm Turnbull (@TurnbullMalcolm) | Twitter", "Australian theme parks to undergo 'safety blitz', "US theme park ride shuts down over Dreamworld tragedy", "US theme park temporarily shuts rapids ride", "Busch Gardens reopens Congo River Rapids ride", "Busch Gardens closes 'Congo River Rapids' ride after deadly accident on similar ride in Australia", "The one thing you won't see at Dreamworld now it's open", "Australia's Dreamworld theme park reopens after fatal accident but witnesses low attendance", "Dreamworld tragedy: Police recommend Coronial hearing ahead of first anniversary of Thunder River Rapids incident", "Dreamworld inquest findings: coroner details 'dangerous' safety practices after examining four deaths on ride", "Dreamworld Thunder River Rapids accident inquest findings handed down by coroner", "Dreamworld parent company Ardent Leisure faces three charges over deadly ride accident", "Ardent Leisure pleads guilty in Australian court over Dreamworld fatal accident", "Dreamworld to pay $2.1m to family of Thunder River Rapids victim", "Thunder River Rapids Ride: Dreamworld ride torn down almost 18 months after four lives were lost at Gold Coast theme park", "It's Mack Time - Dreamworld's Steel Taipan roller coaster goes vertical", "Cost of Dreamworld tragedy could reach $20 million", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Thunder_River_Rapids_Ride&oldid=1131479427, Water rides manufactured by Dreamworld (Australia), All Wikipedia articles written in Australian English, Official website different in Wikidata and Wikipedia, Articles with unsourced statements from August 2021, Articles with unsourced statements from November 2016, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, Improper maintenance and lack of staff training, This page was last edited on 4 January 2023, at 10:00. Three of the four workers will give evidence at the inquest into the October 2016 incident. The Most Interesting Articles, Mysteries and Discoveries. Thomas left the company in 2017. A pair of children miraculously managed to survive the fatal incident at Dreamworld Australia, which was caused by the Thunder River Rapids ride malfunctioning. Oct 25, 2016. Approximately one minute later, another raft carrying six passengers moved down the conveyor and collided with the first stranded raft. A boy's death this summer on Adventureland's Raging River ride wasn't unique: 21 serious accidents, 8 deaths have happened on rapids rides since 1984. Tweet. On management orders, rides would be shut down only if they broke down three times in one day. To add to the systemic issues with the ride, state government regulators routinely signed off on audits of the Thunder River Rapids ride. Earlier, Dreamworld ride operator Stephen Buss was asked if he was aware of emergency stop procedures for Dreamworld ride. Ardent Leisure, the parent company of Dreamworld, said it accepted responsibility and had worked to improve safety standards. The public faces of Ardent Leisure at the time of the 2016 accident, including former chief executive and magazine doyen Deborah Thomas, chairman Neil Balnaves and Dreamworld chief executive Craig Davidson have all moved on. 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[1][2] The ride was later dismantled and the location fenced off. [13] The recovery of the bodies went on into the early hours of the next morning with some paramedics requiring counselling due to the trauma of the scene. Trio arrested during crackdown fall foul of national security law. Thunder River Rapids had already broken down twice. Former Dreamworld safety officer John Clark told the court he was aware of three patients and was performing resuscitation when he was made aware of a fourth person. Dreamworld which has always been the jewel in the crown of the Gold Coast theme park strip at Coomera would also build a memorial garden to honour those who died on the Thunder River Rapids ride. Just after 2pm, 34-year-old Kate Goodchild, her brother Luke Dorsett and his partner Roozi Araghi, and Sydney mother Cindy Low got on the Thunder River Rapids ride. [4] Due to the failure of one of the two large water pumps essential for the ride's operation, the water level in the ride dropped quickly causing a raft, which was occupied by six guests, to become stranded on support rails near the end of the raft conveyor and unable to reach the unloading area. Mr Guilfoyle said: "It ripped pieces of fibreglass from the raft which shook violently causing Ms Goodchild and Mr Dorsett to fall. "When I was attempting to resuscitate the patient I had, I don't know if the water receded or the gentleman floated up, but there was another patient," Mr Clark said. 25 October 2016, 3:22 pm. Even the maintenance planner concluded that the ride was unsafe. Tammy Law. Dreamworld owner Ardent Leisure was fined a record A$3.6 million last September after pleading guilty to breaching workplace health and safety laws over the Thunder River Rapids ride tragedy. SYDNEY - Four people were killed Tuesday after a river rapids ride malfunctioned at a popular theme park on Australias east coast, officials said. Coroner McDougall acknowledged that Ardent Leisure had since overhauled safety at the theme park where the Thunder River Rapids ride has permanently closed. Dreamworld tragedy: Investigators piecing together how fatal accident unfolded. Four people were killed while riding the Thunder River Rapids at Dreamworld in 2016. Kay Dibben Court reporter 2 min read Shine Lawyers' solicitor Tina Ibraheem told news.com.au the four first responders' "level of trauma is beyond anything I have ever seen". The shocking accident which has resulted in a dramatic fall in visitors to the theme park over the past four years has also resulted in a regulatory overhaul of the theme park sector in Queensland. The other two passengers, both children, were able to climb out of the raft, still in its vertical orientation, to nearby platforms once the conveyor had been shut down by ride staff. draining the river, over 7 paramedic crews responded to the 000 call along with firefighters and police. Dreamworld owner Ardent Leisure was fined a record A$3.6 million last September after pleading guilty to breaching workplace health and safety laws over the Thunder River Rapids ride tragedy. [32], Thunder River's remaining structures were demolished in 2018. Counsel assisting Ken Fleming QC asked Naumann if there had been a "total failure by everybody" to identify risks with the ride.