Thunder River Rapids had already broken down twice. Develop The Thunder River Rapids Ride is Australias only river rapids ride and opened in December 1986. A faulty water pump which had the ability to pump 4000 litres per second had resulted in dramatic water loss. WebFour former Dreamworld workers are suing the Gold Coast theme park, two years after they witnessed the entire horror of four people dying on the Thunder River Rapids ride. We are deeply shocked and saddened by the tragic incident; our hearts and thoughts go out to the families involved and their loved ones. It's not clear whether Ardent Leisure has learnt all the lessons from the accident. Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right. 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. They so desperately wanted to do more, but the victims were gone.". But years of ad-hoc modifications to the ride which appeared to have been copied off similar rides in Europe and the US had turned it into a death trap. Then came another raft of six people about a minute later which crashed into it, before all 12 passengers found themselves being pulled upwards by the conveyor before the first raft stabilised on support rails. A few hours earlier, at the coroner's invitation, the victim's families gave emotional tributes to their lost loved ones and the empty holes they have been left with following their passing. But Roddenberry's dreamworld helped show that advanced technology and space travel were not only possible but normal. [16] The 28 October reopening was cancelled on 27 October. At the time of closure, Thunder River Rapids Ride was one of Dreamworlds nine family rides alongside Dreamworld Express, Escape from Madagascar, Gingys Glider, MAD Jungle Jam, Rocky Hollow Log Ride, Shockwave, Skadoosh Bumper Cars, Vintage Car Adventure. The second raft was further moved by the conveyor into a vertical position and subsequently caused passengers to either fall out of the raft or become trapped in close proximity to the conveyor mechanism leading to fatal injuries for four passengers. The four people killed on a ride at the Dreamworld theme park in 2016 died almost instantly, a preliminary hearing for the inquest has been told. "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. That should have been enough to close down the ride until a proper maintenance check could be done. The inquest was also shown a letter from on-site union representative, Jarad Drysdale, which was addressed to an email group titled "Dreamworld Operations Ideas". Weiss said the company had agreed private financial settlements with a number of the victims' families. 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. The 18-year-old's body was found days later, in a shallow grave. The main rapids section of the Thunder River Rapids Ride. Tweet. A raft, which was travelling up a ramp with wooden slats, stalled in the lowering water. Mr Buss said he was "confused" when he saw the 2016 incident on television and wondered why the conveyer was not stopped. [18] The then Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull offered his condolences and support, releasing a statement via Twitter; "I'm very saddened by the tragedy at Dreamworld today. The fatal incident occurred after a water pump failed, dropping water levels and leaving a raft stranded on a conveyor belt. WebFour former Dreamworld workers are suing the Gold Coast theme park, two years after they witnessed the entire horror of four people dying on the Thunder River Rapids ride. Business; Politics; Military; Elections; Law; Immigration; Technology. Something went wrong, please try again later. "Steps were not that complex or burdensome and only mildly inconvenient and really were inexpensive," Magistrate Pamela Dowse said. Dreamworld's own safety guidelines warned that the rafts could, one way or another, potentially tip over (via ABC News). 10:26pm Oct 26, 2016. A CT scan and toxicological testing was also conducted.7 26. [20], The Busch Gardens Tampa theme park in Florida, United States shut its Congo River Rapids ride in response to the incident, until the cause was determined. 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 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. Mr Green and Mr Clark are both taking legal action against Dreamworld, having engaged Shine Lawyers to sue the theme park for "psychological injuries" they suffered. "I shudder when I think if there had been guests on the rafts," Tan wrote in the email. Tweet. But Roddenberry's dreamworld helped show that advanced technology and space travel were not only possible but normal. The bodies of four people who died at Dreamworld on the Gold Coast have been released to families for burial, Queensland police confirm. The coroner said managers at Dreamworld had ignored previous incidents where there had been problems on the ride and not done anything to fix underlying causes. "The victims' bodies were so badly disfigured from crush and compression injuries that these first aid officers were completely helpless, there was nothing they could do. Hopping on circular rafts, six passengers were sent along 450 metres of some pretty tame rapids for about four minutes. The investigation is still ongoing. They also appointed a former Qantas safety executive Geoff Sartori, as safety adviser to the Ardent Leisure board. Queensland Coroner James McDougall's 274-page report laid bare systemic failures and a blind eye to safety from the top down at the company which ran Australia's largest theme park. WebThe Thunder River Rapids Ride was a river rapid type water ride located in the Town of Gold Rush section of the Dreamworld theme park on the Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia. The Thunder River Rapids Ride was a river rapid type water ride located in the Town of Gold Rush section of the Dreamworld theme park on the Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia.[3]. 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. Join 1.7 Million Subscribers The design and construction of Dreamworld's Thunder River Rapids ride posed a "significant risk" to patrons' safety and the park's systems were "frighteningly unsophisticated", a coroner has found. 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. The deaths of Cindy Low, Kate Goodchild, Luke Dorsett and Roozi Araghi are under examination at a coronial inquest on the Gold Coast after the group were killed instantly when their raft collided with an empty vessel and flipped backwards in October 2016. Mail. Operators failed to shut down the conveyor belt before the raft containing the four victims collided with it, forcing both rafts to flip and the visitors to suffer fatal injuries in the ride's machinery. Before departing the ride, guests were brought back up to the level of the station by a conveyor belt. I remember riding it a month before the news came out, still can't believe it happened. She said the Work Health and Safety Prosecutor would have 12 months to decide what action would be taken against the owners of Dreamworld. A group of adults were crushed to death as their lazy river raft flipped on its side after smashing into another. Join 1.7 Million Subscribers Three of the four first responders will take the stand to testify at the inquest into the Dreamworld tragedy something that's played heavily on their minds Ms Ibraheem said. 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. In their own words, they accepted full responsibility and the consequences of their decisions. When it occurred in late 2016, Ardent Leisure became a text-book example of how not to deal with a crisis. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. The direct cause of the disaster was a water pump malfunction that caused low water levels (via The Guardian). Three of the four workers will give evidence at the inquest into the October 2016 incident. Kay Dibben Court reporter 2 min read SYDNEY - Four people were killed Tuesday after a river rapids ride malfunctioned at a popular theme park on Australias east coast, officials said. The raft is dispatched and the riders travel back past the rides queue and into a cave. The Most Interesting Articles, Mysteries and Discoveries. [4] The Thunder River Rapids Ride was among the most popular rides at Dreamworld until its closure.[5]. The second operator was 21-year-old Courtney Williams, who had only received training for the ride that morning. [25][26], In a report to the Queensland Coroner in October 2017, Police recommended that no criminal charges be laid against any person. WebOvernight the popular Thunder River Rapids ride malfunctioned at the Dreamworld theme park in Australia, killing at least four people. But Roddenberry's dreamworld helped show that advanced technology and space travel were not only possible but normal. The design and construction of Dreamworld's Thunder River Rapids ride posed a "significant risk" to patrons' safety and the park's systems were "frighteningly unsophisticated", a coroner has found. The inquest into the deaths of four people on the Thunder River Rapids ride at Dreamworld has been shown CCTV of the tragedy. "In hindsight, yes," Naumann replied, after a long pause. [34] Ardent Leisure reportedly paid out more than $5 million in compensation to the victims family as well as to emergency responders and witnesses. The operator of Australia's Dreamworld theme park has been fined A$3.6m (2m; $2.5m) over the deaths of four people on a malfunctioning water ride. On October 25 2016 one of the Thunder River Rapids ride's two large water pumps stopped working and so the water level suddenly dropped. Thunder River Rapids Dreamworld . McDougall found there had been no proper safety assessment by a qualified engineer since the Thunder River Rapids ride opened in 1986 and during "ad hoc" modifications, which were never passed on to the regulator. But he said the changes only highlighted how "rudimentary and deficient the safety management pratices in place at Dreamworld were prior to this tragedy". Ardent Leisure's share price plunged 17 per cent after the report was handed down. Mail. TrendRadars. 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. We use your sign-up to provide content in the ways you've consented to and improve our understanding of you. This continued movement pulled the raft that had the four adults (names mentioned above) and two kids toward the mechanism. "The nation was overcome with grief and everybody tried to piece together in their minds what happened to those innocent people as they were dragged into that machinery. Develop Thunder River Rapids had already broken down twice. The deaths of Cindy Low, Kate Goodchild, Luke Dorsett and Roozi Araghi are under examination at a coronial inquest on the Gold Coast after the group were killed instantly when their raft collided with an empty vessel and flipped backwards in The inquest into the deaths of four people on the Thunder River Rapids ride at Dreamworld has been shown CCTV of the tragedy. Upon exiting the cave, riders experienced the main rapids section of the ride. This station originally featured a rotating platform which allowed riders to mount and dismount the boats without the need for the boats to stop. The operator of Australia's Dreamworld theme park has been charged with safety breaches over a water ride malfunction that killed four people in 2016. On 25 October 2016, a malfunction of the Thunder River Rapids Ride resulted in the deaths of four people. Two children were flung free, but the four remaining adults died when the raft smashed onto the ramp. Thunder River Rapids Dreamworld . As the raft went up the conveyor belt, it collided three times with another raft that was stuck in low water (via The Guardian). draining the river, over 7 paramedic crews responded to the 000 call along with firefighters and police. The coroner criticised inadequate training for staff and non-existent safety features that could have prevented the tragedy. 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. After four riders were killed on it in late October 2016, the ride was closed. The coroner's report found Dreamworld's safety supervisor, who left the company just before the accident, had overseen a safety regime that wasn't up to scratch. Three of the four workers will give evidence at the inquest into the October 2016 incident. died almost instantly after the Thunder River Rapids Ride rafts collided, an inquiry heard in 2018. It was a savage rebuke to the listed company that such blatant disregard to safety could have been accepted and tolerated for decades. [17], Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate offered his condolences to the families of those affected and extended any support financially and emotionally to all those involved. Represented by Shine Lawyers, the four first responders say they are still psychologically damaged from trying to help the four people pinned. Following the disaster, Dreamworld shut down for six weeks and demolished the ride. A CT scan and toxicological testing was also conducted.7 26. A pair of children miraculously managed to survive the fatal incident at Dreamworld Australia, which was caused by the Thunder River Rapids ride malfunctioning. On 9 November 2016, Ardent Leisures' CEO announced that the ride would not reopen, and was to be demolished. Former Dreamworld safety officer Shane Green told an inquest examining the tragedy that nothing could have improved the medics' response to the harrowing scene they were confronted with. Dreamworld visitor Lisa Walker said the Thunder River Rapids ride had broken down earlier in the day. Weiss vowed to implement the changes recommended by the coroner as well as the tough new rules introduced by the Palaszczuk government following the accident. On October 25, 2016, four people, Kate Goodchild, Luke Dorsett, Roozbeh Araghi, and Cindy Low died while on the Thunder River Rapids Ride (via BBC). 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. The raft is dispatched and the riders travel back past the rides queue and into a cave. In October 2017, police recommended that no criminal charges be laid against any person in relation to the deaths. To put it simply, Dreamworld's inadequacy and poor maintenance, likely resulted in the deaths of four people. 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. The matter was first heard on July 29 in Southport Magistrates Court. The Dreamworld Thunder River Rapids ride. Key points: Dreamworld had a "systemic failure" in all safety aspects, coroner James McDougall ruled Riders board one of several six-person circular rafts and can be as young as two years-old. "They would describe scenarios that were possible on the ride you know, pump stops and what you do, a guest falls in and what you do, a raft comes back and there's one less person, what you do," he said. All four adults died yet the two children on board, aged 10 and 12, were able to climb out of the raft as it remained wedged vertically on its side. This article is about the river rapids at Dreamworld. By accepting all cookies, you agree to our use of cookies to deliver and maintain our services and site, improve the quality of Reddit, personalize Reddit content and advertising, and measure the effectiveness of advertising. It was later found that a water level sensor that could have prevented the accident would have cost less than $3,000. 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. They were reportedly both physically unharmed however they were sent to hospital and offered counselling. SYDNEY - Four people were killed Tuesday after a river rapids ride malfunctioned at a popular theme park on Australias east coast, officials said. Mail. [30] On the day before the scheduled trial, on 28 July 2020, Ardent Leisure pleaded guilty in the action. Thomas left the company in 2017.