Advertisement

We need your help now

Support from readers like you keeps The Journal open.

You are visiting us because we have something you value. Independent, unbiased news that tells the truth. Advertising revenue goes some way to support our mission, but this year it has not been enough.

If you've seen value in our reporting, please contribute what you can, so we can continue to produce accurate and meaningful journalism. For everyone who needs it.

Dreamworld

Police speak of "miracle" as two children survive Gold Coast theme park tragedy

A boy and a girl, aged 10 and 12, survived after their raft flipped on the Thunder River Rapids ride.

(Click here if video doesn’t play)

TWO CHILDREN HAD a “miracle” escape when a raft flipped at an Australian theme park killing four adults, police have said, as claims emerged that safety concerns had been raised at Dreamworld last year.

Two women and two men died when two rafts on the Thunder River Rapids ride at the Gold Coast tourist attraction collided on Tuesday, tipping one backwards, with police saying the victims were “caught in machinery”.

But a boy and a girl, aged 10 and 12, on the six-person circular raft survived. Police initially identified them as two girls.

Reports, which police would not confirm, said they were the children of one of the dead women.

“It seems, from what I’ve seen, almost a miracle that anybody came out of that,” Queensland Police assistant commissioner Brian Codd told reporters after viewing CCTV footage of the tragedy.

If we’re going to be thankful for anything, I’m thankful for that.

7NEWS / YouTube

He said it had been “absolutely traumatic” for the children who were now being cared for by family, as floral tributes were laid outside Australia’s largest theme park, which is hugely popular with domestic and overseas tourists.

Two of those who died were identified in local media as Canberra-based brother and sister Kate Goodchild, 32, and Luke Dorsett, 35, with their mother, who was holidaying with them, distraught.

“We are just devastated, absolutely devastated,” Kim Dorsett told the Brisbane Courier-Mail.

“I have three children and have lost two of them — my whole family has been wiped out.”

Queensland Ambulance officials said the ride, marketed as a family friendly thrill, malfunctioned and Codd stressed a thorough investigation was underway to find out what went wrong.

Thirty detectives were at the scene with rafts taken away by a forensic team.

“There will be a broad range of things examined -— policies, procedures, maintenance schedules and the actual, I guess, the make-up of the whole ride itself in terms of compliance about contemporary engineering,” he said.

(Click here if video doesn’t play)

Ben Swan, the Queensland secretary of the Australian Workers Union, said the organisation voiced serious concerns about the operation and maintenance of some equipment at Dreamworld last year, although not the river rapids ride.

“I don’t want to inflame the situation,” he told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

However, we do think that in the interests of workers at that facility, but also to the patrons of that facility… it is important there is a full inquiry.

The Australian newspaper reported that a series of mechanical problems were plaguing the water ride hours before the accident.

Codd said he was aware of the reports and added: “I would imagine that would be an important area of interest for the coroner”.

(Click here if video doesn’t play)

The Gold Coast, which hosts the Commonwealth Games in 2018, is a major tourist destination and Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk pleaded with holidaymakers not to turn their backs on the area.

“The Gold Coast is safe,” she told the Seven Network.

Please don’t alter your holiday plans. Please continue to show your support. We will get to the bottom of this.

Dreamworld, which opened in 1981 and has over 40 rides and attractions, said in a statement late yesterday its whole team was “devastated and shocked”.

“We are working closely with the authorities to understand exactly what occurred.”

© – AFP 2016

Read: “Everyone was screaming” – Tragedy as four die at theme park in Australia >

Read: Man dies after ‘dangerous drug incident’ in Australia >

Your Voice
Readers Comments
7
    Submit a report
    Please help us understand how this comment violates our community guidelines.
    Thank you for the feedback
    Your feedback has been sent to our team for review.