Dreamworld paramedics did not see fourth patient until water drained from ride

DREAMWORLD paramedics did not know a fourth person was underwater until water had drained from the Thunder River Rapids Ride, the inquest into the tragedy heard yesterday.

DREAMWORLD paramedics did not know a fourth person was underwater until water had drained from the Thunder River Rapids Ride, the inquest into the tragedy heard yesterday.

The scene was so “overwhelming” it staggered paramedics with more than 20 years experience.

Experienced paramedics and first aid officers John Clark and Shane Green told the inquest they initially thought there was only three patients.

The inquest is examining what happened 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 about 2pm on October 25, 2016.

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Dreamworld safety officer John Clark leaving the inquest into the Dreamworld tragedy. Picture: AAP

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 heard Mr Clark initially waded into chest-high murky water to help give CPR to one of the victims.

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He asked people to help find something to lift the patient out of the ride’s trough.

It was not until the water levels continued to drop that he realised there was another patient under water.

Mr Clark said he was not sure how long he had been at the scene by that time.

“If I could tell you a time … I couldn’t tell you … I am really sorry,” Mr Clark said.

Mr Green, who was also the park’s first aid boss, said: “I truly believe that scene was so overwhelming it overwhelmed all training,” Mr Green said.

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Dreamworld first aid boss Shane Green leaving the inquest into to the Dreamworld disaster. Picture: AAP

“Even talking to the QAS and QPS afterwards, it was such an abnormal scene … I agree training is important but I couldn’t say whether it made any different in searching for people in that case.”

Mr Green said the park’s safety planning team had never “envisaged” a tragedy like what occurred that day.

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He said nothing would have changed the outcome.

“And in all honesty, if you had the world’s leading cardio surgeons, neurosurgeons, traumatic surgeons in that place with all their equipment nothing would have changed that outcome,” he said

Mr Green said scenario training in responding to emergencies on rides was not done outside of park opening hours due to costs restraints.

“We are under quite strict guidelines in regards to our wage for training,” he said.

Safety first aid officer Ben Hicks has taken the stand and will continue to give evidence today.