Accident on Splash Canyon

[addy2503]

Statement from the park:

"Further to a police statement that has been issued to myself and my colleagues a few moments ago, it is with great sadness that we have to report that a young girl has passed away at Birmingham children's hospital following an incident on one of our rides this afternoon.
Our staff were alerted that an 11 year old girl had entered the water. Trained park staff were immediately on scene attending to the patient and west midlands air ambulance arrived and airlifted her to hospital.
We are all truly shocked and devastated and our thoughts are with her family & friends at this tremendously difficult time."

Taken from the Sky news live feed

Video of the statement from ITV: http://www.itv.com/news/central/upd...ment-we-are-all-truly-shocked-and-devastated/


Edit: The park have also now announced that they will be closed tomorrow (10th May):

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/862033220308750337

 

[Pokemaniac]

This is just tragic.

I'd say "hopefully the park was not to blame", but on second tought I realize that it would just imply the girl herself was responsible, and that would be even more tragic. Besides, it's not like the park would have an easier time if that was the case, since it's really bad PR to go out and blame the victim, however true it might be, especially if she is a child. The park must claim responsibility and face the backlash. However, safety routines could always be better, so the park is never entirely without blame, and certainly not without responsibility.

Water rides are actually really dangerous, though, if you get in the path of a boat. They can deliver not only crushing blows (which the body can take fairly well, all things considered - unless an artery is severed or the head is involved, it takes comparatively long to die from blunt trauma), but also suffocate - and that is a swift killer. If somebody somehow was struck by a boat on dry land, an ambulance might be in order, but it's no worse than being hit by a slow-moving (and for rapids, well-padded) car. But a boat strike in the water will at the very least send you tumbling head-first into the water, and if you get stuck, you'll be have very little time to come loose, and the likely desorientation/panic won't help. It's not much to hope for, but I hope she at least lost consciousness quickly.

 

[Astro61201]

The problem I believe lies with today's blame culture, if the incident was caused by the girl (not saying that this is the case but it seems likely) people will still want to impart blame on the park (however this may be justified) as people never seem to want to blame the victim. So it is in no doubt that Drayton and the UK industry will be receiving bad PR from this (already the smiler was mentioned out of the blue in a sky article) even if the blame does not lie fully with the park, (such as if the girl did stand up and get ejected) I think that we can see seatbelts being introduced on Rapids soon all because of a rare accident. I'm in no way applying that either the park is innocent or that the girl is guilty, but people will most likely park as this is the easier and less tragic route to take.

 

[Robbie]

Radio 5 Live are covering this later after 10.30pm with 2 eye witnesses and more.

 

[Smithy]

Not gonna lie but the thought of a seatbelt on a rapid ride scares me more than just riding them normally.

Follow the rules and you won't get injured.

 

[Pink Cadillac]

The Daily Mirror and their relevant headlines <3

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/862022122218168320

 

[silenthillXD]

Horrific news, thoughts go out to all involved. Reports are going around that Rumba will be closed tomorrow, so I wouldn't be surprised if Congo River Rapids was down too.

 

[gavin]

From the Daily Fail:

Schoolfriends said the child was standing up to change seats when she was knocked off the side and 'dragged under the water by the current'.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...r-theme-park-accident-Splash-Canyon-ride.html

Which would basically confirm what most of us must've been thinking. It's obviously a horrible accident, and I'm in no way going down the "IT WAS HER FAULT!!!!" route because that's gross and unfair, but it's also something that was not the fault of the ride, park or staff.

I'm surprised we haven't had one of these before. An open ride system which allows poor judgment of riders to happen was going to head this way eventually.

 

[Lofty]

I'm guessing the most likely would be she stood up. This is really bad though, RIP.
Do you reckon drowning was the cause? I hope so, because at least it wasn't be better than any blunt trauma type injuries I guess.

You hope so? What the **** is wrong with you... I'm sorry, I understand the motive behind your comment, but I can't help but feel it shouldn't have been posted at all, ****ing think before typing.

This is an incredibly tragic accident, a little girl went on a school trip and this happens, no matter of how or why, it's happened.

 

[elephant58]

I don't think you understand the motive behind my comment at all. I was only expressing that I hope the way she went was more peaceful than being hit by a boat. In a hobby which I've been part of for years, which is paddlesports, you get to hear many stories of people who have almost drowned and generally, it's said to be a calm and peaceful way to go. Especially when hit compared to other potential things which could have happened instead yesterday.
I understand why my post has been misinterpreted and that it may look inappropriate, but what I'm saying is I hope, for some sort of consolation, that her death was as quick and as non-traumatic as it could have been. I'm sorry that I have caused offence, as that really was not the aim of my post.

 

[Ian]

From the Daily Fail:



http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...r-theme-park-accident-Splash-Canyon-ride.html

Which would basically confirm what most of us must've been thinking. It's obviously a horrible accident, and I'm in no way going down the "IT WAS HER FAULT!!!!" route because that's gross and unfair, but it's also something that was not the fault of the ride, park or staff.

I'm surprised we haven't had one of these before. An open ride system which allows poor judgment of riders to happen was going to head this way eventually.

Excellent post.

Until the exact circumstances become clear, it's unfair on the girl's family and the park to speculate on what exactly happened or who was at fault. There is a difference between somebody behng involved in an accident and surviving and death itself.

How do people think this will affect Drayton Manor, or the ride itself? I can't see it having an impact as big as the Smiler incident did. By the sound of it, Drayton and the emergency services responded professionally and quickly, so I don't think they'll get the same amount of flack that Alton did.

I can also see all Rapids rides having big signs with "remain seated and hold on at all times" plastered all over them.

 

[Hixee]

How do people think this will affect Drayton Manor, or the ride itself? I can't see it having an impact as big as the Smiler incident did. By the sound of it, Drayton and the emergency services responded professionally and quickly, so I don't think they'll get the same amount of flack that Alton did.

Likely an accurate prediction. I can't see the ride being closed, somehow, as it wasn't really the ride or it's operation that was at fault (as far as the current evidence suggests, at least). I think Drayton appear to have done the right thing, and I think as awful as it is, they won't be crucified for it. They'll have some tough PR ahead of them, but I think they'll be okay.

I can also see all Rapids rides having big signs with "remain seated and hold on at all times" plastered all over them.

Do they not already? I feel like you see that on most of the rides, both in the queue, in the station and on the ride vehicles themselves. Although yes, I think there will be even more of that now.

 

[spicy]

Awful accident, only question the park should face is if the children should have been allowed onto their own boat with no adult? I'm sure there is a height/age restriction in place for riding without an adult. However she may well have been of adequate height/age.

Rapids rides are incredibly dangerous when you consider that anyone falling into the water can potentially result in death. I've seen people stand up out of the way of splashes plenty of times.

 

[davidm]

I can also see all Rapids rides having big signs with "remain seated and hold on at all times" plastered all over them.

Which is fine, but only a H&S exercise - excitable kids don't pay attention to that stuff do they.

I know I've been on lots of rapids rides that do have seatbelts - but I can't recall which ones/where, so there is obviously a precedent - anyone got actual examples of which ones do/don't have seatbelts? (i.e whats the pattern?)

(and I'm sure I've been on them with seatbelts that the guests have then undone mid-ride to switch seats too, so thats still far from foolproof)

 

[Robbie]

How do people think this will affect Drayton Manor, or the ride itself? I can't see it having an impact as big as the Smiler incident did. By the sound of it, Drayton and the emergency services responded professionally and quickly, so I don't think they'll get the same amount of flack that Alton did.

The backlash has begun, with a lady going on the BBC to complain about the Park - after her own son stood up and fell in back in 2013.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-stoke-staffordshire-39867690

 

[gavin]

I know I've been on lots of rapids rides that do have seatbelts - but I can't recall which ones/where, so there is obviously a precedent - anyone got actual examples of which ones do/don't have seatbelts? (i.e whats the pattern?)

Quite a lot in Asia have them., but off hand I can't think of examples. They tend to be quite wide, loose straps which fasten with velcro rather than anything that clicks into place, I'd imagine so that they can be removed easily. I've also seen some with bars/handrails that riders kind of have to slide under to get into the seat. They don't move or sit on riders legs to restrain them, but make it a lot more difficult to stand up.

 

[davidm]

^ yeah I can picture velcro ones and also those plastic clip ones (so not like a coaster/airplane seatbelt at all).
But they are definitely there for physiological reasons ("I've got a seatbelt on => must not move") rather than actual restraint reasons.

--

and I see the BBC have reached out; http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-stoke-staffordshire-39867690

Theme park enthusiast Ian Bell, who owns rollercoaster fan group Coasterforce, said rapids rides like Splash Canyon tended not to have seatbelts in case they capsized.
"They are fairly buoyant; I've never heard of one capsizing. They are very safe," he added.

Think SFoT's did (1999) and Eftelings at some point more recently? (rideaccidents.com has vanished which logged these things - still in google's cache if you dig a bit though)

EDIT : BBC's IFC quote now says;

"They are fairly buoyant; they rarely capsize. They are very safe," he added.

#canttrustanyonethesedays

 

[DelPiero]

Dollywood's rapids have velcro seatbelts, takes seconds to put on. I've had to have a go at my boy for standing up on rapids rides before and before every ride I ask him what the safety instructions are, and correct him when he forgets something. Mainly for my piece of mind down the line when he rides things solo.

Obviously this is a tragic incident, but with most things which provide a thrill, there are risks, and people need to follow safety instructions to minimise those risks.

 

[Hixee]

These sentences from the H&S Lawyer aren't very well written! BBC, you can't just put it in quotation marks and assume your work is done.

Mr Green said: "The Alton Towers scenario looked more perhaps as if something inevitably looked like it hadn't worked on the day. This one [at Drayton Manor] may be rather different."

 

[Ireeb]

Of course, I think this is a terrible accident and I am honestly sad that the girl dies, but you can't blame the park for it. I think you should allow a park to expect people to follow such simple safety rules. They shouldn't have to put every visitor on a leash and make sure they don't hurt themselves. I never heard someone blaming a railway company because people got hit by a train after standing on rails where there is no special transition for pedestrians. You can't make the whole world child- and idiotproof. (Not saying the girl was an idiot, it was just careless. But you know what I mean.)