Dreamworld Inquest: Another week to be added to hear out all witnesses, upgrade planned to ride controls

THE Dreamworld inquest into the Thunder River Rapids tragedy has been told a plan was prepared to overhaul controls at the killer ride – but never went ahead

DREAMWORLD made plans to completely overhaul the Thunder River Rapids Ride control panel about a year before the disaster which killed four people.

The work would have cost $10,000.

The Coroner’s Court of Queensland at Southport was shown a document park electrical supervisor Scott Ritchie created in August 2015 showing the control panel would be upgraded.

The works would have included installing a touch screen, water level monitoring, monitoring pump loads and all alarms as well as upgrades to controls of all exit and arrival gates.

“This would future proof this system for years to come,” Mr Ritchie said.

Safety upgrades were made in February 2016 but did not include any of the work suggested by Mr Ritchie.

The ride’s control panel was criticised by police at the inquest in June for being “confusing”.

Operators had to press four buttons at the control panel to shut the ride down.

The inquest into the Dreamworld tragedy is underway. Photo: Gold Coast Bulletin

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The inquest is examining what happened about 2pm on October 25, 2016 after a pump stopped working on the Thunder River Rapids Ride, causing water levels to drop and a raft to become stuck on the conveyor belt.

That raft was hit by another carrying Luke Dorsett, his sister Kate Goodchild, her daughter Ebony, 12, Roozbeh Araghi, Cindy Low and her son, Kieran, 10.

The four adults were killed. The children escaped uninjured.

The inquest also heard today that six months before the tragedy the theme park was shopping around for new replacement rafts for the Thunder River Rapids Ride.

Emails from April 2016 shown to the inquest show Dreamworld had asked supplier Intamin about the possibility of similar boats fitting the rapids ride.

In the month leading up to the tragedy, which killed four people, the two rafts involved had several problems, the inquest has already heard.

Dreamworld maintenance supervisors Mark Watkins said the theme park was just “pre-empting” needing new rafts.

“They were not coming to the end of their lifespan but we were looking for replacements or upgrades,” Mr Watkins said.

The Thunder River Rapids Ride was built in-house in the 1980s.

Mr Watkins also told the inquest in June 2016 he was monitoring the temperatures of the ride’s two pumps.

Documents showed the south pump was running about 20 degrees hotter than the north pump.

It was the south pump which broke down, leading to dropping water levels which caused the disaster.

The day after the tragedy at Dreamworld where four people were killed. Picture: NIGEL HALLETT

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The inquest also heard today that neither of the two engineering supervisors knew the south pump on the Thunder River Rapids Ride had two faults before the disaster which killed four people.

Electrical engineering supervisor Scott Ritchie told the inquest he only knew of one fault.

The other engineering supervisor Wayne Cox also told the inquest he only knew of one fault.

Counsel assisting the coroner Ken Fleming asked if that was a problem.

“Not following procedures is a problem yes,” Mr Ritchie said.

He said the technicians should have notified Mr Cox about both of the faults.

He said he thought the faults did not pose a safety risk.

Mr Ritchie had arranged for a technician to look at the pump after two of the same faults were discovered in the week leading up to the tragedy.

“I was concerned that the pump, the Thunder River Rapids Ride being one of the most popular in the park, to keep that ride in operation safely,” Mr Ritchie said.

“I did not have concern with pump stopping because we had procedures in place... to bring rafts home.”

Mr Ritchie said operators had managed to get all people back to the start of the ride safely

Meanwhile it was revealed today that the inquest could have another week added to its sittings to ensure all witnesses are heard.

Coroner James McDougall this morning said it became apparent to him that it may be necessary for another week to be added.

“I would like to do everything to have this completed by Christmas this year rather than Christmas next year,” he said.

The additional week would be held in the week starting December 17 in Brisbane.

“This courtroom (at Southport) will not longer be available then,” Mr McDougall said.

The inquest ran for two weeks in June, with a second two-week block which started last Monday.

A third two-week block was added to start on November 11.