Then went to the Wipeout, “sorry operational issues”. CEO of the themepark, Craig Davidson, said the team is 'deeply shocked and saddened by this and our hearts and our thoughts go to the families involved and to their loved ones'. Picture: Marc RobertsonSource:News Corp Australia. ‘I went back to the manager and questioned it and he tells me that that belt buckle is an added safety feature dreamworld added to the seats, so if they come undone they are still safe. Queensland Police Detective Inspector Mark Thompson told reporters on Wednesday afternoon he had no specific knowledge that anyone captured the carnage on camera but “in this day and age” it was possible someone had clues that could benefit investigators. “Something has occurred where two of those have come together, and as a result one has flipped backwards and it was caught and tossed some of the people that were on the ride backwards into the conveyor belt.”. He refused to comment when asked about the ride and what could have caused the accident. 'We messaged our friend who wasn't at the park and she googled it and told us about an article that she had seen about the accident. Mr Thompson said police especially wanted to hear from people who had been on the ride before the tragedy occurred. “Police are currently involved in an intricate investigation in order to compile a report for the Queensland coroner, and as you can imagine this is a long and detailed process.”. The family-friendly Thunder River Rapids Ride was opened in December 1986 and is Australia’s only river rapids ride. An Australian woman posted a negative review of Dreamworld, including numerous safety concerns, just two weeks before the tragic accident on Tuesday. Ms Palaszczuk said police had been working into the night speaking with witnesses and would continue taking witness statements and investigating the scene today. Picture: Regi VargheseSource:News Corp Australia, ‘WE NEED TO ENSURE THIS NEVER HAPPENS AGAIN’. This afternoon police appealed to anyone who witnessed yesterday’s tragic events at Dreamworld, and who took images or video of the incident or its aftermath, to come forward. Source:Supplied THE inquest into the Dreamworld disaster has heard claims staff were so scared of management they wouldn’t go to the bathroom. ', The Thunder River Rapids ride was built in 1986 and is said to be a 'moderate' with a maximum speed of 45km and hour, Children over two years old are allowed to go on the ride with an adult and it is described as one of the tamest rides in the park, Police cars are parked up outside Dreamworld on October 25, following an accident on the Thunder River Rapids ride, People are seen sitting outside of Dreamworld after it was evacuated following the accident (pictured), Riders on the Thunder River Rapids ride sit on circular rafts that can seat six people. Find out more about our policy and your choices, including how to opt-out. Police Inspector Tod Reid said a 42-year-old woman, a 38-year-old man, a 35-year-old man and a 32-year-old woman had lost their lives. 'Finally over a speaker they said that the park has to close due to an incident and that if anyone has any information about the thunder rapids ride, to go speak to a member of staff. Wiring inside fatal Dreamworld ride was a 'rats nest', inquest told This article is more than 2 years old Some family members of victims watch ‘awful’ CCTV footage of Thunder River Rapids incident She said the incident was “the worst theme park tragedy that we’ve seen in Queensland”. “Let’s concentrate on those young children, let’s get them the care and support they need,” she said told Sky News on Wednesday morning. New Zealander Lisa Walker also said she was on the ride only 10 or 15 minutes before the accident. 'They told their colleague that the show was over and everyone had to leave the park. Brittany Higgins: Peter Dutton tipped off about rape allegat... Sophia Naismith: Parents speak of senseless death as accused... Balcatta: Mohammad Ali Halimi pleads guilty to murdering wif... Liberal Senator blames Labor for Linda Reynolds’ health emer... Anita and Faisal Zarshoy convicted for court fracas with jou... Find out more about our policy and your choices, including how to opt-out. The Gold Coast mayor said it was “a very sad day for our city” and visited the park to pay his condolences to the family. Her son was on the ride with her and was in hospital recovering on Tuesday. There were no overly long queues, and when a staff member on the Tower of Terror 2 made a mistake and couldn't get the ride started, she treated us to a free 2nd ride. Australian Prime minister Malcolm Turnbull said: 'This is a very very sad and tragic event. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of those who lost their lives. It is the second time this year the park has been forced to close due to safety concerns over a ride. It is understood the group was holidaying on the Gold Coast from Canberra when they decided to visit the country’s largest theme park. Dreamworld chief executive Craig Davidson left a wreath at the park’s entrance on Wednesday and made special mention of the children affected. On Dreamworld’s website, brightly coloured promotional pictures of families enjoying the parks attractions have been replaced with a sombre message announcing its closure. 'The whole situation was surreal. Another child, reported to have been Ms Goodchild’s 12-year-old daughter, is believed to have survived the ride along with Kieran. 'My sister and niece were in the ride, they were so traumatised, there is a woman hanging by her foot, crushed from the ride,' one witness told the Gold Coast Bulletin. The Dreamworld Thunder River Rapids ride. The Premier told ABC radio the investigation would today focus on the ride itself, along with Dreamworld’s policies and procedures. I went and told the manager and he said he will call someone to go have a look, yet they continued to let people on the ride and keep operating. Two children survived being thrown from the doomed Thunder River Rapids ride at a theme park in Australia and screamed in horror as their mothers were killed, it has emerged. A witness named Claire Wooley said she helped a distressed child she believed was the daughter of one of those killed, the Sunshine Coast Daily reports. ‘There must have been a reason they added those belt buckles or they wouldn’t have bothered, then continues to tell me that the log ride is now broken! “The focus really is how we can comfort the families of these people and the Gold Coast. Nationwide News Pty Limited Copyright © 2021. I’m devastated that such a caring, loving, sweet and sensitive friend has been lost. It was only after they made the decision to climb out out they realised the desperate situation that was unfolding. @abcgoldcoast pic.twitter.com/jAg87oPqxy. “Sunken boulders and rapids jolt and jostle beleaguered victims. It just takes them from the water in the bottom to the unloading point at the end.”. His loss is deeply felt, and our thoughts and wishes are with his family and friends,” the statement said. Chaplains visited the park to offer support while others have left tributes at the scene overnight. “In terms of how they escaped, maybe through the providence of God or somebody,” he said. Initial investigations into the accident suggest that the raft collided with an empty vessel that had become stuck near the end of the ride, it has been reported. pic.twitter.com/GxrnKlEHio, Much sadness in Dept of Health for loss at Dreamworld of Roozi Araghi, described as "larger than life, a genuine force of nature". Picture: FacebookSource:News Corp Australia, Kate Goodchild was one of the victims. Where’s Mummy?’” witness Claire Wooley said. Shares in the company dropped 7 per cent after the incident. Visitors as young as two-years-old are allowed to go on the ride. You are one of a kind and I know you will bring sunshine to heaven! Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said yesterday he was saddened to hear of the “tragic accident at Dreamworld earlier today”. Based on viewing CCTV footage, Mr Codd provided a brief description of the incident. Another witness, Lia Capes, told the ABC that she was just about to go on the ride when she saw people running out, crying. Queensland Police outline the forensic investigation into the Dreamworld deaths. A British backpacker has also told how she went on the ride just two hours before the accident. Health Minister Sussan Ley also paid tribute on Twitter, saying there was “much sadness” in the Department of Health over the loss of the popular public servant. A Dreamworld paramedic was trying to resuscitate one of the victims of the Thunder River Rapids ride tragedy when the sinking water levels revealed another victim, an inquest has heard. (L-R) Kate Goodchild, Luke Dorsett, Roozi Araghi and Cindy Low were killed in the Dreamworld accident in October 2016 The four victims of Australia's Dreamworld theme park … It was a horrific scene.”, Police are seen assessing the scene after the incident. Mr Fuller said: 'One of the rides has sustained some sort of malfunction, causing two people to be ejected, two caught, two males and two females. 'When she told us about it we were very shocked and shaken up. A Queensland Ambulance spokeswoman said at the time the man swallowed water after he fell from the ride. After four riders were killed on it in late October 2016, the ride was closed. The 25-year-old from Christchurch and his partner were seconds away from climbing into the raft on the Thunder River Rapids ride that flipped and killed four people when they paused and let a group in front of them. In the confusion that followed, people screamed in panic and others leapt over barriers to try and rescue those trapped under the raft. Dreamworld CEO Craig Davidson said park staff were “deeply shocked and saddened” by the tragedy and “our hearts and thoughts go to the families involved and their loved ones”. Those killed include Canberra woman Kate Goodchild (née Dorsett), 32, her brother Luke Dorsett, partner Roozi Araghi and a 42-year-old woman. PICTURED: Four crushed to death on Thunder River Rapids in Dreamworld theme park HORROR TWO children who survived the doomed Thunder River Rapids ride at … Commentator and ABC journalist Patricia Karvelas, a friend of two of the victims, took to social media to express her disgust at the sentence for being too light. We’re a country town when it comes to that sort of stuff and we’re going to do our best,” he told Today. Tired looking park, not much staff about and generally not the best atmosphere. https://t.co/FGF9vsrB1s. The victims were later identified as Cindy Low, Kate Goodchild, her brother Luke Dorsett and his partner Roozbeh Araghi. Are you freaking kidding me? He was a caring, gentle and sweet soul. Two victims were thrown from a raft on the Thunder River Rapids ride at Dreamworld on Queensland's Gold Coast, while two others were trapped inside, … “They drained all the water out and then had to fill it all back up.”. Image: 7 News "We are working closely with authorities to understand exactly what occurred. Dreamworld is Australia's largest theme park, and features what it calls the biggest and fastest thrills rides in the country. The two children who are believed to have been involved the incident were taken to Gold Coast University Hospital where they remain in care, Ms Palaszczuk said, and family members of all victims were being contacted. Two men and two women were killed on the Thunder River Rapids when their raft collided with another near a large conveyor belt at the end of the ride. Children over two years old are allowed to go on the ride with an adult and riders sit on circular rafts that can seat six people. Shane Green was one of the first people on the scene on the day of the ride's malfunction, an experience he describes in his first television interview as a "nightmarish" ordeal. She said there would be “a lot of counselling” required for emergency workers involved, as well as families who were at the park on Tuesday. Another friend recalled his smile and sense of humour smile and sense of humour. Emergency services rushed to the popular tourist and family destination shortly after 2pm and the park was completely evacuated by 4pm. Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate (right) looks despondent outside Dreamworld on Tuesday. The New Zealand couple may have escaped death or injury but the experience of witnessing the horror had left them deeply traumatised. Mr Thompson said reports Ms Goodchild’s husband had his wallet and phone stolen in the frantic minutes after the accident were incorrect. All in all it was a great day!’, An aerial view shows Queensland Emergency service workers at the scene at the amusement theme park Dreamworld, Two of the riders escaped and the water was drained from the rider in an attempt to save the trapped passengers, Witnesses said the accident was horrific and happened as the ride was coming to an end, Shocked US Olympic gold medalist Matthew Centrowitz said he had been on the ride just a few minutes before the accident (pictured), The Thunder River Rapids ride (stock picture) is described as a moderate family ride by Dreamworld, 'BUFC!' Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said the priority at the moment was to ensure children involved in the accident and those who had lost family were cared for. Gold Coast mayor Tom Tate said it was a 'very sad day for our city'. “If you ever saw a doughnut being made at Donut King, they have a conveyor belt at the end that the doughnuts go up to dry off,” he said. When the ride crashed, witnesses said they saw family members panic and about 20 visitors rush from the ride. 'We went to the tiger show and the tiger was supposed to do another trick but a member of staff interrupted. She was thrown onto the wooden conveyor belt when the raft flipped. Shocked Dreamworld visitors are streaming out of the theme park after ride incident. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families. ‘Then went on Puss In Boots, maintenance issue. This white water experience lasts for 7 wet, wild, lurching minutes. “These children will have our full support into the future.”. Picture: David ClarkSource:Supplied, Heavy machinery lifts a carriage of the ride at the centre of the incident at Dreamworld. Meanwhile, reports emerged last night that Dreamworld visitors said there had been problems on the ride earlier in the day. Labor senator Sam Dastyari, who knew Mr Araghi, said Australia was “worse for the loss”. Beim "Thunder River Rapids Ride" sitzen jeweils bis zu sechs Gäste angeschnallt auf Sesseln auf einem überdimensionalen Reifen, der durch Kanäle mit reißendem Wasser getrieben wird. The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline. “Dreamworld is absolutely committed to fully supporting the authorities investigating the incident so we can find out exactly what has occurred,” he said. Dreamworld went into lockdown after the incident, with thousands spilling into the carpark to escape. The comments below have been moderated in advance. Two men … Also a member of staff had blocked a walkway through the park so we gathered that something was wrong. 'Dreamworld is working as quickly as possible to establish the facts around the incident and is working closely with emergency authorities and police to do this,' a Dreamworld spokesperson said. Picture: Facebook/AAPSource:AAP, PARKED CLOSED ‘INDEFINITELY’ FOR INVESTIGATION. “An incident has happened as the conclusion of the ride where the flumes, or device that people sit on, have come to the conclusion of the ride at the area where people would get off,” he told reporters at Dreamworld. Someone will get seriously injured or killed one day!’, Another visitor to the park, Lynda Holgate, from Perth, said in April: 'I've been to a lot of American theme parks, so wasn't taking my expectations too high and it turns out I was right to do so. Dreamworld Thunder River Rapids Ride crash kills four after car flips over on conveyor belt in Australia that nearly killed man six months ago . He had the rare ability to communicate complex and technical matters in a clear and easy to understand manner, while also bringing a lot of joy and fun to the workplace.”. Her family released a statement this afternoon saying they were “devastated” and “traumatised” by her death. 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. June 2009: Helicopter crashes into Dreamworld carpark, injuring the pilot and four Taiwanese passengers, 2011: Two separate reports of Bengal tiger Kato biting handlers at the Tiger Island attraction - once in May and once in September, November 2013: More than 7000 people evacuated from Dreamworld in under an hour after a bushfire came close to the facility, April 2016: A passenger on the Rocky Hollow Log Ride nearly drowned after being thrown from the attraction and suffering lacerations to his head, It has been confirmed that the four adult victims died after a raft they were in flipped on the Thunder River Rapids. So sorry. Mr Davidson said the accident had affected all Dreamworld staff. “This is the reverse of that. All times AEDT (GMT +11). Chloe Ellis, 18 from Portsmouth, said: 'We were so shocked because it could have been us. 'Earlier in the day it had broken down,' Lisa told Sydney Morning Herald. The man said he was “counting his lucky stars” while his partner’s mother had vowed never to set foot in another theme park.