Theme park failed in all safety aspects – coroner
A coroner has condemned Dreamworld over its failures leading up to the deaths of four passengers on the Thunder River Rapids fun ride, saying it was ‘‘very fortunate’’ nobody was killed on the ride prior to the 2016 tragedy.
Coroner James McDougall handed down his scathing report into the 2016 tragedy at Dreamworld, which claimed the lives of New Zealander Cindy Low, Kate Goodchild, Luke Dorsett and Roozi Araghi, yesterday morning in the Brisbane Magistrates Court.
‘‘The gravity, scope and complexity of the tragedy at Australia’s largest theme park is unparalleled in Queensland’s history and was carried out … with the eyes of the world watching,’’ McDougall said as he began to read a summary of his 300-page finding in the court.
McDougall said there was a ‘‘systemic failure’’ by the theme park in relation to ‘‘all aspects’’ of safety. ‘‘There is no evidence that Dreamworld ever conducted a proper risk assessment of the ride in its 30 years of commission.’’
McDougall said it was ‘‘unfathomable’’ that hazard management fell to ride operators and staff who identified risks, rather than through formal engineering inspections.
The lax approach to safety, McDougall said, made such a tragedy much more likely. ‘‘It was simply a matter of time. That time came on October 25, 2016.’’
McDougall referred the park’s operators, Ardent Leisure, to the Office of Industrial Relations so it could consider whether to prosecute the company, as he believed it may have committed an offence under industrial law.
In addition, McDougall recommended that: regulatory changes be made in Queensland to improve the inspection and licensing of major amusement parks; owners of an amusement ride must comply with updated Australian standards; annual risk assessments be undertaken by a qualified engineer of all aspects of a ride’s operation, including possible emergencies; and full inspections of rides every five to 10 years.
The four passengers were riding on the Thunder River Rapids Ride on October 25, 2016, when the raft they were in collided with an empty raft at the end of the ride’s conveyor belt and flipped over.
The incident sparked an outpouring of grief and horror that such a thing could happen at a Gold Coast entertainment park where thousands of Australians holidayed each year.
That grief was on display in Brisbane yesterday as family members spoke in court prior to
McDougall handing down his findings.
Cindy Low’s widower, Matthew Low, said: ‘‘Our heart aches daily as we try with varying success to be grateful for the decades we had.’’
‘‘She had the heart of a tiger, fierce and protective.’’
Low also read out a statement from their nine-year-old daughter, Isla. ‘‘Mum was a wonderful person with a very big heart,’’ she wrote. ‘‘I miss her hugs and her cakes that she used to make for us all the time.’’
Kim Dorsett lost two children that day at Dreamworld – Kate Goodchild and Luke Dorsett – along with her son’s partner, Roozi Araghi.
The couple had been together for nine years, Ms Dorsett told the court.
‘‘When Luke partied, he partied hard. First to arrive and last to leave, and guaranteed a big sleep-in the next day. It’s almost as if he knew that his life would be short. To me, he was just my son and I miss him every day.’’
Kate was a ‘‘great mummy’’ to Ms Dorsett’s two granddaughters, but Evie was so young in 2016 she would grow up with no memory of her mother. ‘‘She will get to know her mum, Luke and Roozi through stories we share, pictures and trips to heaven, which is what she calls the cemetery,’’ she told the court.
Lengthy and detailed inquest hearings were held in Southport in 2018, with the coroner expected to hand down his findings in 2019. That was delayed until now.
Dreamworld is expected to address the coroner’s findings at a press conference this morning. – Nine