DREAMWORLD INQUEST Court views ‘awful’ tape

SOME brave family members of the four people who died in the Dreamworld tragedy remained in courtroom 17 yesterday as harrowing CCTV footage of the ride disaster was played at an inquest.

The hearing was closed to the public while the video was played to the Southport Coroner’s Court yesterday afternoon.

The families of the four victims – Kate Goodchild, Luke Dorsett, Roozbeh Araghi and Cindy Low – were given the option whether to stay in the room or wait outside.

Most chose to leave but a few steeled themselves and remained in the room.

The disaster on October 25, 2016, occurred after a pump stopped working on the Thunder River Rapids Ride, causing water levels to drop and a raft to become stuck on the 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 four adults were killed. The children escaped the raft uninjured.

Counsel assisting the coroner Ken Fleming said the courtroom was closed for the CCTV because “of the sensitivity of it”.

“It’s awful footage no matter how you look at it,” Mr Fleming said.

“It is simply not for public consumption.

“It is the video of the footage from about three or four minutes before the actual incident occurred up to the incident.

“We thought it inappropriate to show the public but necessary for our purposes to actually see it and to put it in perspective, having heard all the evidence we have about it.”

The families of Ms Goodchild, Mr Dorsett and Ms Low have spent the past two weeks sitting quietly in the back of the courtroom listening to revelations about practices and training at Dreamworld.

Each morning and afternoon they run a gauntlet of waiting media.

Ms Goodchild’s partner David Turner attended the first week of the inquest but has not returned for the second week.

The Araghi family have chosen not to attend the inquest.

A Dreamworld electrician yesterday asked to give a heartfelt message to the families of the victims.

“I just wish to offer my sincerest condolences to all the families of the victims,” he said.

The inquest will reconvene for its tenth day this morning.