Schoolgirl, 11, who died on rapids ride ‘had stood up to swap seats’
THE little girl who died after plunging into rapids on a theme park ride had stood up to swap seats when she was jolted into the water, it was claimed yesterday.
Evha Jannath turned 11 four days before the tragedy on the Splash Canyon ride at Drayton Manor park in Staffordshire.
Yesterday, as her family spoke of their lives being ‘torn apart’, it emerged that attempts to pull the unconscious schoolgirl from the water may have been delayed because staff initially dismissed reports that a child was in the water.
A post circulating on Facebook yesterday claimed the Year Six pupil at private Jame’ah Girls Academy (JGA) in Leicester had been in a six-seater dinghy with four friends, when she stood up and was tipped out as the vessel hit a ‘rock’.
The post added that some teachers were in the following boat, and when the alarm was raised, park attendants did not believe her screaming friends, claiming it was ‘impossible’ to fall from the ride.
The brother of a pupil who was in the boat added: ‘My sister was saying that Evha stood up in the boat and looked like she was moving seats. Then she looked back and she was in the water. It happened in an instant.
‘But she wasn’t struggling – just lying motionless in the water. The other girls then started shouting for the guards who didn’t believe them that she was in there.’
It is not known whether Evha knew how to swim.
Evha’s headteacher, Erfanaa Bora, read a statement outside the school yesterday in which she described the 11-year- old as a ‘lovely and sweet-natured’ pupil who was liked by everyone.
But Mrs Bora, who lives nearby, has declined to answer further questions on the circumstances surrounding the incident. Yesterday it emerged a similar tragedy at Drayton Manor was averted four years ago, when a ten-year-old boy, Patrick Treacy, fell from the ride after standing to pose for a photo. He was rescued by an onlooker.
Watford-born Evha, who is of Bangladeshi heritage, was airlifted to Birmingham Children’s Hospital following Tuesday’s incident. She was pronounced dead soon afterwards. In a statement, her family said their world had been ‘torn apart by the news’, adding: ‘Evha was a beautiful little girl who was full of love and always smiling. Words cannot describe the pain and loss we feel, we are devastated that we will not see our beautiful little girl again.’
Yesterday neighbours of Evha’s mother Musammath Nahar, 43, said she was separated from the girl’s father, 47-year- old waiter Muhammed Islam. The couple also have a son, aged around 15.
Amina Sheikh, 34, who lives next door to Miss Nahar in Belgrave, Leicester, said the mother was ‘really, really struggling’ and had been heard ‘wailing’ in grief. She added: ‘Evha was a lovely, playful girl. Her mum went to see her body yesterday and she said there wasn’t a scratch on her.’
JGA charges up to £2,300 a term and caters for up to 200 girls between seven and 16. All pupils were said to have attended the theme park trip. The school was closed yesterday following the tragedy, and counsellors will be on hand when pupils return today.
The Health and Safety Executive is investigating Evha’s death, supported by police.
A Drayton Manor spokesman said the park would remain closed today, adding: ‘While we await the findings of the ongoing investigation we cannot comment further, other than to say we are all shocked and devastated and our thoughts are with her family and friends at this tremendously difficult time.’ Leicester East Labour candidate Keith Vaz said: ‘The family requests that the ride in question is suspended, until the inquiry is concluded and the full facts are established.’