Boy, 12, taken to Gold Coast University Hospital after hitting head while riding on carousel at Movie World on Tuesday
An update has been provided on the condition of a boy, 12, who hit his head while on a ride at a Gold Coast theme park, sparking interest across the nation.
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A boy who suffered a nasty head wound when he hit his head while riding a carousel at Movie World theme park on the Gold Coast remains in a stable condition in a city hospital.
The 12-year-old was “extremely lucky” to escape more serious injury or even death, according to a senior paramedic.
Gold Coast Health has provided an update on the condition of the boy following the incident on The Looney Tunes Carousel just after 1pm on Tuesday.
The Pacific Motorway, Oxenford theme park was reportedly bustling with school holiday visitors when the boy hurt himself, sparking interest from media outlets nationwide.
He was taken to Gold Coast University Hospital in a stable condition for treatment.
The boy suffered a “significant laceration to the back of his head”, according to Queensland Ambulance Service senior operations supervisor Bill Houghton.
The injury is not considered life-threatening, but Mr Houghton said the boy was fortunate in the circumstances.
“Obviously people can die from head injuries, but he’s extremely lucky and he’s in the best care at the moment,” he said.
Mr Houghton said an off-duty nurse helped the boy at Movie World after the incident, and he was conscious and “in good spirits” when paramedics arrived at the theme park.
Village Roadshow Theme Parks, which runs Movie World, stated the nurse was one of its workers.
Details of how the accident occurred were described as “a bit sketchy” by Mr Houghton.
Village Roadshow chose not to respond to various claims on social media that the boy was standing on the carousel, rather than sitting as required.
The carousel has been closed while Village Roadshow investigates.
Village Roadshow has wished the boy well and defended the safety of its attractions.
“We pride ourselves on our standards of care and quality and an investigation is being conducted as a matter of priority into the exact cause of the incident,” a statement read.
Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate said his thoughts were with the injured boy and his family.
“Work safety officers and police will manage the incident and council will make no further comment,” he said.
The carousel moves at a relatively slow speed of six revolutions per minute.
Children under 105 cm must ride with an adult and people with certain medical conditions are prohibited from riding, according to Village Roadshow.
“The Looney Tunes Carousel is fun for everyone! Who is your favourite Looney Tune? Take your pick and jump on for a fun carousel ride,” the theme park’s website states.
The ride was due to be closed for planned maintenance from July 25 to September 16, but the website now lists the carousel as “currently under maintenance”.
Initially, it was reported the boy fell from the ride.
Boy injured in fall from theme park ride
April 5: A 12-year-old boy has been taken to hospital with a head laceration after falling from a ride at a Gold Coast theme park.
Emergency services were called to Movie World about 1.10pm after a boy in his pre-teens fell from a ride.
He was taken to Gold Coast University Hospital in a stable condition with non-life threatening injuries, suffering from a deep laceration to the back of his head.
A Village Roadshow Theme Parks spokesperson said the child was attended to by a “nurse” prior to the ambulance’s arrival.
“This afternoon an ambulance was called to Movie World to attend to a guest following an incident on the carousel ride,” they said.
“The guest received a laceration to his head and was attended to by Movie World’s nurse before being taken to hospital in a stable condition.
“Our thoughts are with the guest and his family and we wish him a speedy recovery.
“We pride ourselves on our standards of care and quality and an investigation is being conducted as a matter of priority into the exact cause of the incident.
“In an abundance of caution the ride has been closed while we understand how the incident occurred.
“The safety and wellbeing of guests and team members is our top priority at Village Roadshow Theme Parks and we are committed to providing guests with a fun and safe environment.”
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Originally published as Boy, 12, taken to Gold Coast University Hospital after hitting head while riding on carousel at Movie World on Tuesday
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