Australia - 4 people dead on Dreamworld's Thunder River Rapids ride, Gold Coast, 2016

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"The lives of four people killed on a Dreamworld ride could have been saved by replacing a piece of equipment 'costing only a couple of hundred dollars,' according to experts.

David Eager, an associate professor of engineering at UTS said it was likely the Thunder River Rapids ride had a faulty limit switch - a sensor device that keeps distance between rafts.

He said a new limit switch would have only cost the Gold Coast theme park a couple of hundred dollars."

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...-prevented-cheap-equipment.html#ixzz4ORNmKIRQ
 
Inspector Reid said, as he expected the "complex" retrieval of the bodies would involve heavy equipment

based on this I wonder if media has used word drained instead of turned "off"- that would get rid of the nagging makes no darn sense to drain !

Without movement it would appear lower- that also fits with the focus slowing moving to a pump then later to a sensing switch regarding separation

"It had broken down and we went back a couple of times to this particular ride," she said.
"We were standing on the bridge watching and the water had stopped.
"There was no rapids."
The tragedy occurred about 10 minutes after Ms Walker and her daughter, Kaylah, walked away from the ride.
"We had just got off the ride, maybe five or 10 minutes, and had come over to the water park," Ms Walker said.
"We had just come back and heard all the sirens and things and we saw all the people being ushered out.
"Some were coming out by themselves, some were coming out on their own. Some were coming out crying, cuddling people.

 Village Roadshow Ltd.'s theme parks in Australia's Queensland state will be part of a month-long safety blitz starting on Saturday (Oct 29) after a fatal accident this week at Dreamworld, run by Ardent Leisure Group

understaffed


Staff at the Gold Coast theme park wrote emails addressing concerns........cops .have been given the emails

two emails provided by the Australian Workers Union were written in 2015 and address concerns about rides being run by 'sole operators',

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...st-theme-park-understaffed.html#ixzz4ORU1zzGK
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook

On Friday Dreamworld spokeswoman Miche Paterson said the Thunder River Rapids attraction was staffed by two people as per the guidelines written by the ride's manufacturer.
AWU general secretary Ben Swann said he was concerned about other rides 'that [were] being operated, or monitored by sole operators, against manufacturers' clear guidelines'.


Mr Swann said on Friday he gave the two emails to police, showing the company was running the Cyclone Rollercoaster with only one operator despite the manufacturers guidelines of two, 'preferably three staff.'
In the 2015 emails Dreamworld senior staff told the AWU their decision to staff rides with one operator was made after a 'long and exhaustive risk assessment process.'

Yea ............payroll!


Thunder River Rapids ride manufacturer specified two staff operate the ride.

"And that is what they had," she said.


The April 2, 2015 Dreamworld email says: "There is no indication in this manual that this ride must not be operated by more than one employee," Mr Swann read to Fairfax Media from the email.
However, the ride's manual, which had to be obtained by the AWU from the manufacturer in Utah because Dreamworld refused to provide a copy, appears to refute this.


It says one person must give "his or her undivided attention" to the station operator's console.
"This person must not leave the control console at any time."
The manual then adds: "There should be one person, preferably two or more people on the loading and unloading side of the station, to assist people in and out of the carriages and to help passengers adjust the restraints."

"So when they say – in that email – there is no indication this manual that this ride must be operated by more than one operator – well, that is a straight-out lie."

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...st-theme-park-understaffed.html#ixzz4ORTaA4hT
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook

http://trueviralnews.com/fatal-dreamworld-accident-captured-on-cctv/

http://thedailynews.ddns.net/news/gold-coast-dreamworld-accident-could-have-been-prevented-by-cheap-equipment
 
These are not the manufacotrs (I dont know!) but I thought some of this stuff was interesting - just about the industry in general

http://www.splashtacular.com/assets/keepitnew-maintenance.pdf



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This blitz started today at Dreamworld.

From the same link^ http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-10-...pts-statewide-theme-park-safety-blitz/7977434

Safety audit 'should have happened earlier'

Australian Workers Union state secretary Ben Swan said the safety blitz should have been conducted before the tragic incident at Dreamworld.
He said he would ask the Government when a safety audit had last occurred.
"It may well be the case over the course of the coming days and weeks that I have an opportunity to speak with people within the department, if not the Minister, to get a better appreciation of this, and I can ask for those details at that appropriate time," he said.
"When it comes to safety, whether it's members of the public or workers in these sorts of environments, you have to be perpetually vigilant, not just after a catastrophic episodes.
"You have to maintain a heightened state of awareness at all times with regards to safety."
 
Swiss company Intamin are now putting it out there that they have had absolutely no involvement whatsoever with the ride involved with the tragic accident at Dreamworld.

http://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/m...eamworld-theme-park-kills-4-raft-ride-n672301
Thunder River Rapids was built in 1986, according to Australian theme-park database Parkz. The database said the ride was built by Swiss-based company Intamin, but a spokesman for the firm told NBC News that this information was incorrect, and that it played no part in designing or manufacturing the ride.


.
 
"A father who witnessed the Dreamworld tragedy unfold while waiting in line has said the victims 'didn't stand a chance' of surviving.

Ben was standing in line for his turn on the Thunder River Rapids when four people were killed on Tuesday afternoon, the Gold Coast Bulletin reported.

The 28-year-old pilot had noticed the empty raft stuck up ahead but was unaware it was stuck."


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...-Dreamworld-tragedy-unfold.html#ixzz4OSDjSjHu
 
It's funny how a lot of posters refer to that MSM source, as " The daily Fail" yet it's sited a lot here, and I often find it to be one of the most accurate and informative of all the MSM. They really get the human interest part right. Imo. And they usually have the best pics, before anyone else. I wonder why they seem to be so hated here, despite the fact that they are so often referenced?
 
Huh? .....

http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/que...d-timing-of-union-claims-20161026-gsbq4w.html
A Dreamworld spokeswoman said the Seven News report that an 18-year-old on her first day was operating the emergency stop switch was incorrect.
"There was an 18-year-old staff member (on site at the ride), but she was not controlling the ride," she said.
"It was not her first day, she has been there for a year."
Dreamworld said all ride operators were trained to "specific competency standards", were rotated to prevent fatigue and a "unique" system prevented rides operating inadvertently.
"At all times throughout each year we diligently work with Workplace Health and Safety Queensland, our regulator," the spokeswoman said.
"We have a strong, open and transparent working relationship with the regulator.
"For all these reasons, Dreamworld is concerned about the timing and nature of recent AWU media comments.

.... shifting now & turning the table
 
More on CEO
http://www.parkz.com.au/article/2015/03/11/351-Ardent_Leisure_appoints_new_CEO.html

[FONT=&quot]Among other matters that were voted for at the Ardent Leisure Annual General Meeting was [/FONT]Approval of the change of company name[FONT=&quot]. 99.49% of shareholders voted for the measure, which will seen Ardent Leisure become Main Event Entertainment Limited.

[/FONT][FONT=&quot]he change comes despite but not because of [/FONT]Tuesday's tragic events[FONT=&quot]. This item was on the agenda in their September 22 notice for the AGM – however the move comes as Ardent Leisure's handling of the Dreamworld incident comes into question.

[/FONT][FONT=&quot]Theme parks, once the flagship division of Ardent Leisure, currently only contributes 23 per cent of the company's EBITDA while Main Event is 39 per cent with considerable annual growth. There has been speculation that Dreamworld [/FONT]may be sold off[FONT=&quot] down the track to further fund the growth of Main Event, a business that offers large returns with relatively low capital outlay.

[/FONT][FONT=&quot]"A disaster like this would not require a cut and run philosophy," Mr Balnaves told reporters, despite not ruling out that they might consider any "absolutely fabulous" offers.

[/FONT]http://www.parkz.com.au/article/2016/10/28/430-Embattled_Dreamworld_owner_votes_to_change_company_name.html
 
...... previously not been made public:

The January FlowRider incident was among documents released on Wednesday by Workplace Health and Safety after legal advice
A child got stuck by the foot, then the neck on a Dreamworld ride in the busy January 2016 school holidays, documents released by Workplace Health and Safety Queensland show.
The incident relating to the FlowRider ride, described as "potentially significant", was the first of three at Dreamworld this year. .
On January 18, a rider referred to as "JJ" was caught by the neck on the FlowRider just after 3pm.

"There were a lot of children on the ride, so the staff put up a partition in the middle. The wave pulls them back and riders try to balance. [The rider] got caught from a wave and his foot got caught under the partition and then his neck got stuck."
Park management said engineering staff were being counselled on Wednesday and could not provide information.

http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/que...-january-rti-information-20161026-gsbemz.html
 
Ms Thomas, a former editor of the Australian Woman’s Weekly magazine, faced a challenge to restore faith in her leadership. Her appointment 18 months ago was a surprise and shares in Ardent lost one-fifth of their value when the group said she would be replacing long-time boss Greg Shaw.


“She didn’t seem to have a lot of operational leisure industry experience prior to her appointment at Ardent,” said Raymond Chan, managing director of Morgans, a Sydney-based stockbroker.

Neil Balnaves, Ardent chairman, told the Australian newspaper that the board appointed Ms Thomas as her experience of running women’s magazines gave her knowledge of how to market to women and families — a target audience for Ardent.

https://www.ft.com/content/9952f992-...4-be63473ce146
 
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http://www.iaapa.org/expos/euro-attractions-show/education/crisis-management
 
gregjrichards said:
"A father who witnessed the Dreamworld tragedy unfold while waiting in line has said the victims 'didn't stand a chance' of surviving.

Ben was standing in line for his turn on the Thunder River Rapids when four people were killed on Tuesday afternoon, the Gold Coast Bulletin reported.

The 28-year-old pilot had noticed the empty raft stuck up ahead but was unaware it was stuck."


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...-Dreamworld-tragedy-unfold.html#ixzz4OSDjSjHu
Click to expand...

Hi Greg

From your link

two men were sitting at the back of the tube, so they just went straight between two conveyor belts.

Ben's account of the day:

references a lack of water in the ride. [FONT=&quot]“The water level on the rapids was low enough for me to notice,” he said.

[/FONT]
The father-of-two suspected the water level was very low at the time of the accident compared to the water mark on the wall.


He believes if the water was higher it might have helped push the empty float along and avoided the tragic accident.


[FONT=&quot]“Like when you see the tide roll out, the level of the river rapids was quite low compared to the water mark on the wall,” he said.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]“It was like a pool that obviously needed to be topped up.”

“The empty tube was totally stuck (on the conveyor belt), like if you had a boat on a sandbar,” Ben said.

[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]With tarps erected to shield the scene and emergency services on their way, Ben and about 30 other witnesses were ushered away.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]“What I saw was enough,” he said.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]“You just can’t believe what was happening in front of your eyes.”


[/FONT]

'the only thing that determined who survived and who didn't was where their seats were positioned'


[FONT=&quot]I’ve seen stories blaming people for not acting quickly enough but no human intervention could have saved them,” he said.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]“It all happened in a matter of seconds and whether someone pushed a button or not, nothing could have stopped it.”

A previous time I got stuck halfway around and they had to let us all out.

[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Two days ago, Ben spent an hour talking to a Lifeline counsellor on a crisis phone line that has been set up specifically for those impacted by the Dreamworld tragedy.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]“It has been a difficult few days, just trying to process it and it did help talking,” he said.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]“That first night I was so restless and couldn’t sleep. It didn’t seem real. It still doesn’t.”

They were on holidays and no one ever thinks they won’t be going home.

It was the six people Ben saw laughing a few moments before chaos came and it’s when his thoughts turn to them that his heart aches................ [/FONT]

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...-Dreamworld-tragedy-unfold.html#ixzz4OSykH7da
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook


​http://www.goldcoastbulletin.com.au...d/news-story/48f99b2b7198d8fc6873d72d2394cfbd
 
CARIIS said:
...... previously not been made public:

The January FlowRider incident was among documents released on Wednesday by Workplace Health and Safety after legal advice
A child got stuck by the foot, then the neck on a Dreamworld ride in the busy January 2016 school holidays, documents released by Workplace Health and Safety Queensland show.
The incident relating to the FlowRider ride, described as "potentially significant", was the first of three at Dreamworld this year. .
On January 18, a rider referred to as "JJ" was caught by the neck on the FlowRider just after 3pm.

"There were a lot of children on the ride, so the staff put up a partition in the middle. The wave pulls them back and riders try to balance. [The rider] got caught from a wave and his foot got caught under the partition and then his neck got stuck."
Park management said engineering staff were being counselled on Wednesday and could not provide information.

http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/que...-january-rti-information-20161026-gsbemz.html
Click to expand...

This sounds absolutely horrific, terrifying & dire for this child to of gone through.
I really, really hope this child completely recovered from this shocking incident.
The fact that staff were counselled afterwards speaks volumes!
 
More mention of the slats missing (BBM):

http://www.ldphub.com/general-news/...ning-following-dreamworld-tragedy-225751.aspx

A former ride attendant at Dreamworld, where four people died earlier this week as a result of an accident on a raft ride, has claimed that staff at the Gold Coast theme park receive inadequate training, and that new staff are poorly supervised.

The anonymous man, who was speaking to 7 News, said, “The reason I’m speaking out is because this accident was avoidable. It should not have happened.

He added that the training attendants receive is minimal.

“You were pretty much given about half an hour’s worth of training before the park opened and then the ride trainer would stay with you for about 15 to 20 minutes after that, and then they would go about their day.”

Regarding the particular ride that caused the death of the four people, Thunder River, he said,about the“I do know of one person who did work there who did raise concerns conveyor system on the Thunder River ride, because it did have those gaps between the slats.”

However, Dreamworld has refuted the man’s claim.
 
The kids were at the front & the adults at back of raft , children flipped out to survive . * top heavy center of gravity . It looks dangerous to begin with ! Imo .
So sorry this is how it is . Unnatural tragedy

sent from a tiny cheap gadget
 
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