Dreamworld to pay for ride victim Roozi’s sons’ education

A man who died on Dreamworld’s Thunder River Rapids ride donated sperm to a cousin that resulted in two boys being born - and the theme park will now pay for their education.

Two young children conceived with sperm donations from a man killed in the Dreamworld ride tragedy are set to receive $300,000 from the theme park’s owner to help pay for top private school fees.

Zachary Araghi-Dawson, 8, and Harrison Araghi-Dawson, 4, could receive the money if their claim as “dependants” of Roozbeh “Roozi” Araghi, who was killed on the Thunder River Rapids ride at Dreamworld in Coomera on October 25, 2016, is settled.

Mr Araghi’s partner Luke Dorsett, his sister Kate Goodchild and Sydney mother, Cindy Low, were also killed when a water pump on the ride malfunctioned, causing water levels to fall dangerously low.

Before his death, it can be revealed Mr Araghi donated sperm to high-flying Sydney software executive Sarah Louise Dawson, 46, who is in a same-sex relationship with Roozi’s cousin Nicola “Nicki” Araghi, an IT executive.

Roozbeh “Roozi” Araghi, partner Luke Dorsett, sister Kate Goodchild and Sydney woman Cindy Low were killed in 2016 at Dreamworld.

The two boys were conceived using the donations, with Zachary born three years before Mr Araghi’s death, aged 38, while Harrison was born eight months after the ride tragedy.

Details of Mr Araghi’s two biological sons and the trust fund were revealed in the Supreme Court in Brisbane last month when Ms Dawson, from Marrickville, applied to the court seeking the green light to approve the settlement of a damages claim, for provision for dependent children, against Dreamworld’s owner Ardent Leisure.

Ms Dawson, the chief customer officer at software company PropertyMe, told the court that the claim was provisionally resolved for $300,000 at a meeting in October last year and only needed to be approved by the court.

She said she believed the proposed settlement was reasonable “particularly with a claim involving a novel family arrangement like ours”, and the costs and risks of taking the case to trial.

The boys’ lawyer, Merridy Gordon, told the court in her affidavit that Ardent Leisure’s liability for the accident “is not really in doubt, given the damning findings of the Coroner’s Court”.

The Coroner’s Court labelled Dreamworld’s actions a “total failure” and the hazards on the Thunder River Rapids ride posed “significant risk” to patrons.

Coroner James McDougall said there had been a “systemic failure by Dreamworld to ensure all aspects of safety” and referred Ardent Leisure Limited to the Office of Industrial Relations for prosecution failing to comply with health and safety laws.

Sarah Dawson and Nicola Araghi (front) with sons Harrison (left) and Zachary Araghi-Dawson. Roozbeh Araghi donated sperm to the women before he died in the 2016 Dreamworld ride tragedy. Picture: Facebook.

Ardent pleaded guilty to three charges and was fined $3.6m by the Southport Magistrates Court two years ago for failing to take steps to minimise the risk of injuring or killing someone.

Ms Dawson told the court in her affidavit that Mr Araghi, who lived in Canberra and worked at the Australian Bureau of Statistics, took on the role of a “very involved uncle” and spent time with Zachary, but was not named as father on his birth certificate “given that he was not intended to take the role as parent”.

“Roozi intended that the children would be raised by Nicki and me, but that he would support the children nonetheless. We welcomed his involvement,” Ms Dawson wrote in her affidavit filed in court.

She said Mr Araghi said he was willing to contribute to the costs of child care and education.

Mr Araghi “agreed” that his sons “should attend a private school” and in particular the International Grammar School in Ultimo in Sydney’s inner-west because it supports same-sex relationships.

The trust fund is set to be split 60 per cent to younger child Harrison, and 40 per cent to Zachary because he has already begun his schooling.

Ms Dawson told the court she had the skills to invest the funds for her sons and manage the trust instead of having it managed by the Public Trustee, as she had a “mini Masters of Business Administration” and earned $270,000 at PropertyMe, an accounting software company for real estate agents.

She lives in a $2m Marrickville home with her partner of 12 years, Nicki Araghi.

The case is due to be heard on September 12.

Lawyers for Ms Dawson and her children were contacted for comment.

Dreamworld has agreed to pay its staff more than $5m in compensation, according to court documents.

The company paid between $110,000 and $700,000 each, court documents state.