Speculation and media beat ups - Thunder River Rapids incident

[Bailz]

Does anyone know what the procedures are on the Thunder River Rapid for an emergency?

[DaptoFunlandGuy]

GCB just posted that the earlier reports that the partner who tried to save his family was robbed of his wallet etc during the incident were false.

http://www.goldcoastbulletin.com.au/news/two-girls-are-without-their-mother-after-tragic-accident-at-dreamworld-kills-four-sends-two-to-hospital/news-story/4b1253a0155f20872ccfb0dbf8335d16

[Slick]

 

5 minutes ago, ashhole157 said:

I wonder if a ride op could of hit the e-stop when the first raft got stuck?

Total speculation here, but suppose the conveyor belt is automated, the staff at the unload station would be relying on this to work as it should and would be focussing their attention on unloading the raft at hand that is in fact at the unload station at the time. For example, had they might've been assisting someone out of the raft in the station at the time, it would've taken a few seconds to become aware of any stimulus that would prompt an e-stop, another few seconds to safely unload the person at hand, and another few seconds to reach for the closest e-stop button.

I guess what i'm saying then is that i'm confident attendants would have raced to an e-stop button in the most practical time possible.

Edited October 26, 2016 by Slick

[Carrie_Smattick]

Another fear mongering news article posted this.

(obviously we await the investigation results)

[Harold]

 

 

Does the operator seen at 4:40 have control of the belt (or anything else) or is he just there in an advisory capacity?

[JaggedJanine]

Just now, Carrie_Smattick said:

Another fear mongering news article posted this.

(obviously we await the investigation results)

I saw the original version of this photo and i still have a copy. It initally said the raft was travelling the opposite way along the conveyor belt. News outlets not fact checking before creating images like this.

[Brad2912]

4 minutes ago, Carrie_Smattick said:

Another fear mongering news article posted this.

(obviously we await the investigation results)

 

I'd say that's fairly accurate tbh..

[Ryande16]

Out of curiosity do you guys think that this tragic incident would affect WBMW attendance? 

[DaptoFunlandGuy]

6 minutes ago, Slick said:

 

Total speculation here, but suppose the conveyor belt is automated, the staff at the unload station would be relying on this to work as it should and would be focussing their attention on unloading the raft at hand that is in fact at the unload station at the time. For example, had they might've been assisting someone out of the raft in the station at the time, it would've taken a few seconds to become aware of any stimulus that would prompt an e-stop, another few seconds to safely unload the person at hand, and another few seconds to reach for the closest e-stop button.

I guess what i'm saying then is that i'm confident attendants would have raced to an e-stop button in the most practical time possible.

I share your confidence Slick, but in terms of them 'focusing on load' - there should be an operator, at the panel, watching the surveillance monitors. Wonderland had a camera on the conveyor... so if this applies to Dreamworld - then we're talking less than 5 seconds from 'start to tip' to total shutdown.

[Whombex]

1 minute ago, Ryande16 said:

Out of curiosity do you guys think that this tragic incident would affect WBMW attendance? 

Ultimately, no, not in the negative. The very small number of people wishing to avoid 'theme parks' could not offset the number of people who had planned to go to Dreamworld, and are at Movieworld instead.

 

As this is my first post in this thread (I have been on it since yesterday), I wish to express my sincere condolences to the friends, family and loved ones of the victims, survivors, staff and emergency services involved. Such a tragic accident. Thankfully, most people posting in this thread have been respectful, considerate and empathic. Emotions in our posts at this time are only natural, but posters need to be mindful that their posts can distract readers from the tragedy about those directly affected.

I agree with the poster a page back, I would like to have seen better moderation of this thread as a lot of first time visitors are seeing this thread as their first time on the Parkz forums/website.

[ashhole157]

13 minutes ago, Slick said:

 

Total speculation here, but suppose the conveyor belt is automated, the staff at the unload station would be relying on this to work as it should and would be focussing their attention on unloading the raft at hand that is in fact at the unload station at the time. For example, had they might've been assisting someone out of the raft in the station at the time, it would've taken a few seconds to become aware of any stimulus that would prompt an e-stop, another few seconds to safely unload the person at hand, and another few seconds to reach for the closest e-stop button.

I guess what i'm saying then is that i'm confident attendants would have raced to an e-stop button in the most practical time possible.

Ok thank you...

 

Earlier in the day when seven went live to DW ceo laying a wreath at the park he said they would be releasing a statement this afternoon. Shouldn't be far away now.

[Carrie_Smattick]

Just watching Channel 7 news and they mentioned one of the operators of the ride was an 18 year old girl apparently on her first day working there. (If that is true... Would they really put her on there first day?)

More info, they are saying a water pump failed, lowering the water level and forcing the raft to become stuck. Would be interesting if it was true - whether that was the cause of the problem earlier in the day. (Again, if true)

[Ryande16]

Not sure if this has been mentioned

 But just saw channel 7 news melbourne and they said the empty raft was stuck due to a broken water pump. They also said that one of the ride operaters was 18 years old and it was her first day working at Dreamworld. 

[ashhole157]

If that is the cause and the ride was shut down earlier in the day for that reason then I can see a BIG lawsuit in DreamWorld's future.

Although if a pump did fail wouldn't the rides computer auto shut down?

Edited October 26, 2016 by ashhole157

[UpperCoomera]

3 hours ago, www worker 2.0 said:

 

↑I don't know why that is up there sorry↑

 

SKY NEWS has just reported that witnesses have already contacted lawyers seeking monetary compensation from Dreamworld....

Edited October 26, 2016 by UpperCoomera
Can't get rid of quotes

[elemist]

There was a comment yesterday about ride issues in the morning, and one thing they mentioned was they had to drain the ride to resolve the issue. If there was a water pump issue would they have been able to refill it so the ride could start operating again? Or maybe they just didn't refill it enough?

[Themeparkfan]

From what I can gather you need 2 people at a minimum to operate the attraction safely I have never seen less than 2 working that ride in the years I've visited the park seccondly if there was a new employee on their first day they would NEVER let them near the ride without having an experienced ride supervisor  there to train the staff member and observe for safety 

[Brad2912]

A FORMER Dreamworld employee who worked on the ride where four people were killed said he believed it had a “potentially fatal flaw.”

Jon Armstrong worked as a ride operator on Thunder River Rapids on a casual basis for around six months in 1987, shortly after it was built.

The 51-year-old from southern Queensland said he and his colleagues had a “similar problem” one day, when a raft that was still attached to its rope mooring flipped on the conveyor belt.

“I was on ‘start-up’ duties for the ride, which involved walking the river bed before the pump started, check the raft inflation pressure and ensuring all rafts were untied,” he told news.com.au.
 

 

“I was unaware this particular morning that one raft had two mooring lines attached by the overnight maintenance crew, the second rope being hidden on the far side of the raft and submerged.

“When the ride started, this raft stuck and caused three other rafts to flip on the conveyor and four more to ‘mount’ the flipped rafts.

“It’s lucky there was no one on board because if there had been, their body parts would have been pushed under the water ... and at that part, the water’s deep.

“Luckily we had not allowed guests in to ride yet but those of us present at the time all agreed that this was a potentially fatal flaw.”

After the incident there was a formal investigation, Mr Armstrong added, and safety procedures were tightened up. The park brought in more thorough checks the rafts were untied, cameras were installed and the shutdown switch was moved into the control room.

Now most of the ride is automated, but Mr Armstrong — who now works in IT — says he believes there should be an automatic shutdown if a raft didn’t move up the conveyor belt.

He said that at the time a raft with “small people” on it would slip at the top of the conveyor belt three or four times a day, sending children flying on to a raft behind. It would appear that issue was resolved some time ago.

Mr Armstrong also said the rafts were heavy and “if one of the rafts got pushed around upside down, they wouldn’t know how to rescue themselves, they’d panic.”

The former ride operator added: “When you walk around the river course, there are a lot of obstacles. If you’re whitewater rafting in the real world you have to wear a crash helmet.

“I doubt I’d go on that ride until they changed the format. It needs a redesign.”

In 2007, he was employed by a heavy engineering company commissioned to repair weld the Giant Drop and Tower of Terror rides.

“The lead welder/engineer came back at the end of the day and told me he had serious doubts regarding the safety of those two rides as the fatigue damage his team repaired that day was extensive and indeed needed repeating a short time later.”

While he may have harboured his concerns the longest, Mr Armstrong isn’t the first to express fears over the safety of the rides.

[Levithian]

The amount of water encountered in a ride like this, you aren't talking a pool pump. Well, you might be if your pool pump was about 2/3 the size of a car and weighed maybe 6-7 tons. I don't think it's something you can have fail and limp along at half flow. You would probably have a backup and be able to switch over, or have to switch out the pump in the event of the failure.

[Scarlet Witch]

8 hours ago, andrewt92 said:

Obviously the ride is quite tame and for 30 years velcro straps have been suitable, however on a worst case scenario basis (yesterday) they weren't...

 

What are your thoughts? 

 

I believe the velcro straps would have little bearing in a matter such as this - it's the flipped raft that's the issue, not the straps, which as another member pointed out were added some time after the ride opened and initially it had no straps at all.
There is a chance that the riders had already taken their straps off - I've seen plenty of people do so in coming close to the unloading area, before the raft comes to a complete stop. This is actually my thought considering that four were thrown from the raft. In no way am I trying to place the blame on the victims. I believe that, unfortunately, with a flipped raft in this manner, their chances of survival were low, with or without the safety strap. I for one, if the raft were tipping and headed backwards into a moving conveyor, would have removed my belt and made an attempt to get the kids and myself to the platform. Maybe that is what's happened, the adults managed to get the kids to safety? All speculation... we're not going to know anything for sure until the report is released.

 

4 hours ago, Brad2912 said:

This was posted on QPS (Qld Police) FB page this morning.. 

SURELY this person is absolutely full of BS..

It is indeed utter BS Brad. At a casual scroll through fb I found at least 3 posts claiming serious recent injuries at Dreamworld that are utter horse manure - the manner described would have made headlines if true. Just attention-seekers... like certain trolls to this thread.
 

3 hours ago, www worker 2.0 said:

None that I can talk about until the QPS make it available, expecting another press conference some time this afternoon. Have had a few employees quit today which is completely understandable. Had to view the CCTV footage last night quite horrific.

It does not surprise me some employees quit... mate, I'm so sorry you had to watch that. Please tell us that there are no plans to let the media get a hold of that footage? 
 

1 hour ago, POP said:

I understand how it happened now but i dont understand how the two children escaped unscathed. "Thrown clean". It's just a MIRACLE!

My thought is that they had to have made it onto the platform for unloading, or close to it they they were able to avoid the conveyor. They are incredibly lucky to have survived, but I cannot imagine their frame of mine having witnessed what happened. Heartbreaking. 
 

[Bailz]

It's really weird that as soon as this tragic incident happens that all the stories come out about Dreamworld. Makes me wonder if they are really true stories about the welfare of their rides.

[Whombex]

Reports of theft at the scene "wrong".

[razza1987]

First they say it crashed into another raft which made it flip. Now they're saying water pumps. Which is it? Talk about confusing. I rather they shut up until it's confirmed one way or another

[Scarlet Witch]

Just now, razza1987 said:

First they say it crashed into another raft which made it flip. Now they're saying water pumps. Which is it? Talk about confusing. I rather they shut up until it's confirmed one way or another

.. The entire park is shut until further notice?

[razza1987]

Just now, Scarlet Witch said:

.. The entire park is shut until further notice?

What?