Dreamworld inquest: ‘The rafts were sideways, empty’

A SENIOR ride operator has recounted the horrifying moment the raft flipped on the Dreamworld rapids ride, killing four tourists. It was the third time that day she’d been called to the attraction due to malfunctions.

• Family ‘holds Dreamworld responsible’
• Park’s many missed opportunities
• Ride operator ‘told not to speak to police’
• Staffer desperately tried to save victims

AN inquest into the 2016 deaths of four people on a Dreamworld ride has resumed on the Gold Coast today.

The inquest last week heard the Thunder River Rapids ride malfunctioned twice before a third problem killed Cindy Low, Kate Goodchild, her brother Luke Dorsett and his partner Roozi Araghi on October 25, 2016.

Last week, Ms Goodchild and Mr Dorsett’s father Shane Goodchild, and Ms Goodchild’s husband Dave Turner, released a statement saying they held Dreamworld solely responsible for the deaths of their loved ones.

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4.30pm: A seniorDreamworld ride operator has recounted the horrifying moment the raft flipped on the Thunder River Rapids ride, killing four tourists.

Sarah Cotter said she was called to the ride after the south water pump malfunctioned a third time on October 25, 2016, and saw rafts “sideways”.

Dreamworld senior ride attendant Sarah Cotter said she was called three times to the rapids ride due to mafunctions on the day of the disaster. Picture: AAP/Dan Peled

She said a ‘Code Blue 222’ (medical emergency) was called and she received a phone call from the duty manager to ask what was happening.

“I told her that the rafts were sideways, both rafts were empty, there was people in the trough (water) and we need everyone (staff) now,” Ms Cotter told the inquest.

4.20pm: The Thunder River Rapids ride broke down “frequently” in the week leading up to the October 2016 tragedy, the inquest has heard.

A statement from senior ride operator Sarah Cotter was tendered at the coronial hearing.

It revealed she was twice called to water pump malfunctions on the day of the disaster which left four tourists dead.

The victims of the Dreamworld tragedy: Cindy Low, Luke Dorsett, his sister Kate Goodchild and Luke’s partner Roozi Araghi.

“This particular problem has been happening frequently over the last week,” Ms Cotter said in the statement.

She told the inquest that Thunder River Rapids was one of the most complex to operate at Dreamworld.

While other rides had ‘very simple’ control panels, the Thunder River Rapids ride controls were ‘very complex’ and ‘more manual than automatic’.

1.15pm: Dreamworld claimed an emergency stop button on the Thunder River Rapids ride was clearly marked when it was not, the inquest has been told.

Steven Whybrow, the barrister for the family of ride victims Kate Goodchild and Luke Dorsett, told the inquest that an external audit had recommended in 2006 that the e-stop button be “clearly marked”.

Dreamworld’s parent company Ardent Leisure told Workplace Health and Safety investigators after the October 2016 tragedy that the button was clearly marked.

But shown police photos of the button, former Dreamworld safety manager Mark Thompson agreed with Mr Whybrow there was “no label whatsoever” on the button.

12.35pm: A former Dreamworld safety manager has said there was a “complete and utter abdication of responsibility” to ensure ride compliance at the theme park.

Mark Thompson, a former Dreamworld safety manager, leaves the Magistrates Court at Southport today after giving evidence to the inquest into the Dreamworld disaster. Picture: AAP/Dan Peled

Mark Thompson, who led the safety team at Dreamworld from March 2016 until June 2017, also agreed that new attractions were given priority over “tried and true” ones like the Thunder River Rapids ride.

He was asked by the barrister for ride victim Cindy Low if “familiarity had bred contempt” at Dreamworld.

“Yes,” Mr Thompson replied.

12.05pm: Dreamworld’s first aid policy deleted a warning that rafts on the Thunder River Rapids ride ‘could flip or entrap a guest.’

Under cross-examination from Matthew Hickey, barrister for the family of Cindy Low, Dreamworld’s former safety manager Mark Thomson was shown details of the park’s first aid policy, including a safety warning that had been deleted.

“Rafts are very heavy and there are a lot of underwater obstacles that could cause the rafts to flip or entrap a guest,” the warning read.

11.58am: Cutbacks in repairs and maintenance were ordered at Dreamworld seven months before the Thunder River Rapids tragedy, the inquest has heard.

Minutes of an engineering team management meeting from March 30, 2016, were tendered at the inquest.

The minutes noted monthly expenditure was $125,000 over budget on a year to date basis.

“Revenue is up but profits are down (and) cutbacks are now being enforced,” the minutes stated.

“Repairs and maintenance spending needs to stop. Only CAPEX (capital expenditure … allowed).

11.29am Dreamworld’s Thunder River Rapids ride’s official registration lapsed nine months before the tragedy in which four tourists died, the inquest has been told.

The inquest heard the ride’s registration with Workplace Health and Safety Queensland expired in January 2016.

Emails tendered at the inquest revealed Dreamworld sought three extensions to have the ride registered.

A September 2016 email from then-Dreamworld safety manager Mark Thompson to WHSQ said the park was having ‘great difficulty’ finding a “competent person” to inspect its ‘Big Nine’ thrill rides, including the Thunder River Rapids ride.

11.08am Dreamworld’s former health and safety manager says the theme park had a “very archaic” health and safety filing system and it took him “months” to pour through.

Mark Thompson, who was health and safety manager at Dreamworld from March 2016 until June 2017, told the inquest he was “never really given any direction to conduct risk assessments” of entire rides.

He said he conducted risk assessments for aspects of the Thunder River Rapids ride including the cleanliness of water.

He said park “safety ambassadors”, who were management’s eyes and ears, conducted daily, weekly, monthly and annual safety checks while external auditors also carried out safety audits.

He said it was hard for him to do proactive health and safety work at Dreamworld “because I was constantly putting out forest fires”.

10.43am A Dreamworld engineer says he never had any safety concerns about the Thunder River Rapids ride.

Cross-examined by the barrister for Dreamworld’s safety manager, Kamlesh Prasad agreed that nothing on the ride “stood out as being unsafe or dangerous”.

He said he had never raised any safety concerns and agreed that Dreamworld took safety seriously.

Questioned by Coroner James McDougall, Mr Prasad said he had no concerns about spacing on the ride conveyor belt.

Dreamworld engineer Kamlesh Prasad has been giving evidence at the inquest into the 2016 disaster. Picture: AAP Image/Glenn Hunt

10.25am Another Dreamworld staffer says he didn’t know a second emergency button stopped the Thunder River Rapids ride much quicker than the main button.

Dreamworld engineer Kamlesh Prasad, who performed maintenance on the ride and daily pre-start inspections, told the inquest he was “not aware” of the second button’s capabilities.

“All I knew was it stopped the conveyor,” he said.

The inquest has previously heard the second button, located on a pole next to the passenger unloading area, could stop the ride in two seconds compared to eight seconds for the stop button on the main control panel.

Police told the inquest they believe the tragedy which left four tourists dead could have been prevented had the second emergency stop button been activated.

A succession of Dreamworld ride operators have said they did not know the second button could stop the ride more quickly.

Today’s inquest comes as Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said she would await the recommendations of the Dreamworld inquest before commenting on the issues being uncovered.

But she said the onus was on theme parks to ensure their rides were compliant with workplace health and safety legislation.

“This is a very, very emotional time for the families. I want to pay them the respect of the inquest taking its full course until the Government gets to look at the recommendations of the coroner,” Ms Palaszczuk said.