D-DAY FOR DREAMWORLD
INQUEST COMES TO AN END
+ FOLLOW THE VERDICT LIVE FROM 10AM GOLDCOASTBULLETIN.COM.AU
THE inquest findings into the tragic deaths of four people on Dreamworld’s Thunder River Rapids Ride will today be handed down – more than three years after the tragedy.
“Nothing scandalous” is expected to come out of the finalisation into the inquiry, when coroner James McDougall this morning delivers his final recommendations into what happened about 2pm on October 25, 2016.
Four people – Kate Goodchild, Luke Dorsett, Roozi Araghi and Cindy Low – lost their lives when a pump stopped working on the Thunder River Rapids Ride for the third time that day just after 2pm. The water levels dropped and a raft became stuck on a conveyor belt.
That raft was hit by another carrying Mr Dorsett, his sister Ms Goodchild, her daughter Ebony, 12, Mr Araghi, Ms Low and her son, Kieran, 10. The raft flipped and the four adults were killed.
The two children remained strapped in the raft until onlookers were able to free them.
Sources told the Bulletin the recommendations handed down by Mr McDougall are not expected to be “scandalous” and will most likely be aimed at Dreamworld’s owner Ardent Leisure and the state regulator.
The length of time it has taken for the inquest to be concluded has left some lawyers feeling “sorry” for Ardent Leisure.
One lawyer told the Bulletin
the constant delays meant the tragedy was continuously being spoken about, leaving the theme park unable to move on.
The reason for the delay includes the huge volume of information Mr McDougall has had to consider.
The inquest started in June 2018 with more than six weeks of hearings spread over that year.
Dreamworld also dumped thousands of pages of new information on the inquest after the hearings had begun.
Mr McDougall is also continuing with his regular workload.
Since the inquest started he has conducted at least three other inquests only one of which has been finalised due to delays in evidence.
In the 2017-18 financial year, the South Eastern region, including the Gold Coast, Beenleigh and Logan, had 96 cases which were older than two years and were yet to be finalised.
Mr McDougall will hand down his recommendations from Brisbane at 10am this morning.