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| Dreamworld accident: ‘miracle escape’ for two children on fatal theme park ride | Dreamworld accident: ‘miracle escape’ for two children on fatal theme park ride |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Two children who were in the accident at the Dreamworld theme park that killed four adults had a “miracle” escape, Queensland police said on Wednesday. | Two children who were in the accident at the Dreamworld theme park that killed four adults had a “miracle” escape, Queensland police said on Wednesday. |
| The ride on the Thunder River Rapids ride at the Gold Coast theme park flipped as it was travelling on a conveyer belt at the end of the water-based ride about 2pm on Tuesday. Two adults became trapped under the six-person raft and two were caught in the conveyor belt. | The ride on the Thunder River Rapids ride at the Gold Coast theme park flipped as it was travelling on a conveyer belt at the end of the water-based ride about 2pm on Tuesday. Two adults became trapped under the six-person raft and two were caught in the conveyor belt. |
| They have been identified as brother and sister Luke Dorsett, 35 and Kate Goodchild, 32, and Dorsett’s partner, Roozi Araghi, 38. All three are from Canberra. | |
| The fourth woman has been identified in media in New Zealand and Australia media as Cindy Low, 42, originally from Kawerau in the Bay of Plenty in New Zealand, who lived in Sydney with her family. Fairfax Media reported that she was on the raft with her 10-year-old son while her partner and daughter were in another raft. | |
| The other child in the raft was a 12-year-old girl, understood to be Goodchild’s daughter. Both children were physically unharmed but were traumatised and are in hospital and being offered counselling. | |
| Brian Codd, acting police commissioner for Queensland’s south-east region, told reporters: “Maybe through the providence of God or somebody, but it seems from what I’ve seen almost a miracle that anybody came out of that,” he said. “If we’re going to be thankful for anything, I’m thankful for that.” | Brian Codd, acting police commissioner for Queensland’s south-east region, told reporters: “Maybe through the providence of God or somebody, but it seems from what I’ve seen almost a miracle that anybody came out of that,” he said. “If we’re going to be thankful for anything, I’m thankful for that.” |
| Codd said the raft, or “flume”, which looks like six chairs arranged in a circle on a giant inner tube, “turned over and flipped, resulting in it falling back on top of those persons and those persons being variously caught in machinery”. | Codd said the raft, or “flume”, which looks like six chairs arranged in a circle on a giant inner tube, “turned over and flipped, resulting in it falling back on top of those persons and those persons being variously caught in machinery”. |
| “One [raft] has flipped backwards and it has caught and tossed some of the people that were on the ride backwards on the conveyor belt,” he said. | “One [raft] has flipped backwards and it has caught and tossed some of the people that were on the ride backwards on the conveyor belt,” he said. |
| He declined to go into any more detail but said the scene was so traumatic that it had a “deep and emotional effect” on police and paramedics who attended. | He declined to go into any more detail but said the scene was so traumatic that it had a “deep and emotional effect” on police and paramedics who attended. |
| “I guess the fortunate thing here is that the two children managed to escape that disaster … unfortunately, the four adults did not,” Codd said. | “I guess the fortunate thing here is that the two children managed to escape that disaster … unfortunately, the four adults did not,” Codd said. |
| Goodchild had two daughters, aged eight months and 12 years. Her mother, Kim Dorsett, told the Courier-Mail that Goodchild’s oldest daughter was blaming herself. “She has had a truly terrible day, she is going through unimaginable pain at the moment,” she said. | Goodchild had two daughters, aged eight months and 12 years. Her mother, Kim Dorsett, told the Courier-Mail that Goodchild’s oldest daughter was blaming herself. “She has had a truly terrible day, she is going through unimaginable pain at the moment,” she said. |
| Dorsett said she was devastated that her youngest grandchild would never know her mother. “I have three children and have lost two of them today – my whole family has been wiped out,” she said. | Dorsett said she was devastated that her youngest grandchild would never know her mother. “I have three children and have lost two of them today – my whole family has been wiped out,” she said. |
| Codd said police had become used to dealing with tragedies like fatal road accidents, “but coming to a place where families want to come and enjoy each other’s company and just have fun doesn’t really equate to such a tragedy as we’ve seen”. | Codd said police had become used to dealing with tragedies like fatal road accidents, “but coming to a place where families want to come and enjoy each other’s company and just have fun doesn’t really equate to such a tragedy as we’ve seen”. |
| He added: “Many of our officers have families. I don’t think there’s any of our officers who haven’t [been affected by] aspect of what’s happened here. | He added: “Many of our officers have families. I don’t think there’s any of our officers who haven’t [been affected by] aspect of what’s happened here. |
| “We owe it to the deceased and their families, we owe it to the community of Queensland, to get to the bottom of what caused this, to hold accountable any person that needs to be held accountable for this occurring, if that is the case, but most particularly ensuring that this can never happen again.” | “We owe it to the deceased and their families, we owe it to the community of Queensland, to get to the bottom of what caused this, to hold accountable any person that needs to be held accountable for this occurring, if that is the case, but most particularly ensuring that this can never happen again.” |
| The ride, which sends passengers around a 410-metre course of artificial rapids, was one of the oldest and most beloved in the park. It opened in 1986 and was described as one of the park’s family rides, offering a “moderate thrill” suitable for children as young as two years old. | The ride, which sends passengers around a 410-metre course of artificial rapids, was one of the oldest and most beloved in the park. It opened in 1986 and was described as one of the park’s family rides, offering a “moderate thrill” suitable for children as young as two years old. |
| The water was drained as part of rescue efforts on Tuesday. | The water was drained as part of rescue efforts on Tuesday. |
| Codd said he was aware of reports suggesting concerns had been raised about the ride in the past and said all such reports would be examined as part of the coronial investigation. | Codd said he was aware of reports suggesting concerns had been raised about the ride in the past and said all such reports would be examined as part of the coronial investigation. |
| Engineers were scheduled to examine the mechanism, including the conveyor belt, on Wednesday, and investigators would also check the maintenance schedule and see whether the park had complied with its own policies. | Engineers were scheduled to examine the mechanism, including the conveyor belt, on Wednesday, and investigators would also check the maintenance schedule and see whether the park had complied with its own policies. |
| “These types of investigations are not quick,” he said. “They take a lot of time and, unfortunately, some of that time might not be at a speed that keeps up with the media cycle. | “These types of investigations are not quick,” he said. “They take a lot of time and, unfortunately, some of that time might not be at a speed that keeps up with the media cycle. |
| “But I hope that you can understand that, for us, the importance is not speed, but thoroughness. It is absolutely vital that we get to the bottom of all aspects of this very, very complex tragedy.” | “But I hope that you can understand that, for us, the importance is not speed, but thoroughness. It is absolutely vital that we get to the bottom of all aspects of this very, very complex tragedy.” |
| Some parkgoers said the ride had broken down twice earlier in the day. | Some parkgoers said the ride had broken down twice earlier in the day. |
| Queensland’s premier, Annastacia Palaszczuk, said the tragedy had deeply affected the Gold Coast community. “There’s been thousands, thousands of families that have been on that ride,” she told ABC’s AM. “My own family, we went on that ride ourselves just earlier this year.” | Queensland’s premier, Annastacia Palaszczuk, said the tragedy had deeply affected the Gold Coast community. “There’s been thousands, thousands of families that have been on that ride,” she told ABC’s AM. “My own family, we went on that ride ourselves just earlier this year.” |
| Palaszczuk said claims by the Australian Workers’ Union that it had raised concerns about the safety and maintenance of rides at the park on behalf of staff last year would be investigated. | Palaszczuk said claims by the Australian Workers’ Union that it had raised concerns about the safety and maintenance of rides at the park on behalf of staff last year would be investigated. |
| “We need to get to the bottom of this, honestly, we need to make sure that no stone is left unturned because this is an awful, awful tragedy and we want to ensure that this never happens again,” she said. | “We need to get to the bottom of this, honestly, we need to make sure that no stone is left unturned because this is an awful, awful tragedy and we want to ensure that this never happens again,” she said. |
| Flowers began arriving at the site on Wednesday and Lifeline has set up a dedicated support line for people affected by the tragedy. | |
| If you’ve been impacted by the tragedy at Dreamworld, pls talk to someone. Lifeline has set up a dedicated number on 1800 543 354. |