▪ PARK BOSS DEFENDS RIDE SAFETY

THE boss of Drayton Manor Park has defended the safety measures on the ride where Evha Jannath died.

The 11-year-old Leicester schoolgirl was on the Splash Canyon ride when she fell into the water in May 2017.

She waded through the water and climbed a slope before slipping into a deeper reservoir, where she drowned.

On the fourth day of the inquest in Stafford, the inquest jury heard from the park’s director of operations, Steven Lomas.

He was questioned by the coroner and lawyers for the family and the Health and Safety Executive about the safety precautions on the ride, which included a height restriction, warning signs about staying seated and holding on to the safety rails, and a CCTV system.

Mr Lomas defended the fact that, while CCTV footage recorded Evha standing up throughout the six-minute ride at the Staffordshire amusement park, the operator, who was able to monitor nine camera angles in his hut, did not spot this.

The coroner, Margaret Jones, asked Mr Lomas if he was surprised Evha’s party was not watched at any point on the ride by the person monitoring the CCTV.

Mr Lomas, who used to work at Alton Towers and helped set up a similar ride in Spain, said it was possible a boat could go the full distance without park staff observing it.

He said: “That’s possible, but that’s (also) possible on other water rides I’ve experienced.”

Charles Curtis, the lawyer for Evha’s family, asked why there was no safety equipment on the ride.

Mr Lomas said that would be an issue for the designers of the ride.

Mr Curtis asked Mr Lomas if the CCTV was failing as a safety precaution.

Mr Curtis said: “Do you accept, based on that the operator didn’t see any incidents of standing up or moving about in the boat, that the control measure for the operator to control people’s behaviour in the boat doesn’t work?” Mr Lomas said: “No, I don’t.” Mr Curtis asked if it caused Mr Lomas any concern that the operator had failed to spot Evha misbehaving in the boat. Mr Lomas replied: “Yes.”

The lawyer for the Health and Safety Executive, James Puzey, said between 2011 and 2016 there were four incidents of people falling into the water at the park.

Mr Puzey asked Mr Lomas why it was not part of safety reviews to look at those figures.

Mr Lomas replied his review was not “in-depth”.

Mr Puzey also challenged Mr Lomas on the fact the only warning to guests to remain seated were signs on the boats.

Mr Lomas said he did not expect staff to give guests a safety briefing – just to make sure they were sitting down when the ride began.

Earlier in the inquest, there were questions about whether staff should have stopped the water flow after they were told Evha had fallen in.

Mr Lomas said pushing the emergency stop would have been dangerous. He said the water where Evha can been seen paddling on the CCTV footage was about 70cm to 80cm but would have risen by about half a metre if the water had been switched off.

Mr Lomas said: “If the emergency stop is depressed before we know where a guest is, that stops everything including the pumps and the water freely flows down.

“A wave washes back up and the height of the water will increase probably at least half a metre above where it was where Evha was standing. She would have been put at risk.”

Mr Lomas expressed his condolences to Evha’s brother and other family members present at the hearing.

He said: “I would like to express our deep, deep regret in what happened and our heartfelt sympathy.

“Our condolences remain with you as a family from each and every one of us.”