POLICE have confirmed the devastating theme park accident that killed four people at Dreamworld on the Gold Coast was caught on CCTV, as investigations into the tragedy continue.

Working throughout the night, police have been combing the CCTV footage for clues as to what led the Thunder River Rapids ride to “malfunction” and cause the horror crash at about 2:20pm Queensland time on Tuesday.

Queensland Police Inspector Tod Reid said the “complex retrieval” of the bodies will take several hours and involve heavy equipment.

Gavin Fuller of Queensland Ambulance said two of the victims were “ejected” after a “malfunction” on the ride. Theme park staff were trying to help them when paramedics arrived — but Mr Fuller said their injuries were so severe they were “incompatible with living”.

The victims have been named as Kate Goodchild, 32, her brother Luke Dorsett, his partner Roozi Araghi and a 42-year-old woman who remains unknown.

Kate and Luke’s mother Kim Dorsett, told The Courier Mail she is “absolutely devastated” following the accident that left her grandchildren without their mother.

“We are just devastated, absolutely devastated,” she said.

“I have three children and have lost two of them today — my whole family has been wiped out.

“I have two granddaughters — an eight-month-old and a 12-year-old — and it truly breaks my heart to know that my eight-month-old is never going to get to know her mum.”

The family were visiting Queensland from Canberra when the decided to visit Dreamworld. Ms Dorsett said her granddaughter was “distraught” at the loss of her mother.

Mr Fuller said responders had been “deeply affected” by what they had seen and would be offered counselling.

FIVE SECONDS FROM SAFETY

The four people killed in a horrific accident on a Dreamworld ride were just five seconds from safety when the craft flipped, giving them injuries “incompatible with living”.

Witnesses have told how they tried to comfort a young girl who was left screaming as disaster shattered the funpark atmosphere.

“She just kept screaming ‘Where’s Mummy? Where’s Mummy?” witness Claire Wooley said.

“We tried to comfort her, but she was so emotional it was hard.”

“We were in tears ourselves and she was just hysterical.”

A former Dreamworld staffer who has worked at the park for more than a decade told the Gold Coast Bulletin the six-seater craft had nearly finished the ride when it hit an empty raft ahead and flipped.

“If you ever saw a doughnut being made at Donut King, they have a conveyor belt at the end that the doughnuts go up to dry off,” he said.

“It’s exactly the same thing ... It just takes them from the water in the bottom to the unloading point at the end.”

Witnesses who rode the ride earlier in the day expressed concern about the velcro seatbelt that was holding them in. Melbourne father Jesse Lovett said he did not feel secure holding his two-year-old daughter on his lap.

“It’s so rough and you had to hold it really tight,” he told news.com.au. “It was my favourite ride and now with my daughter I was pretty scared to go on it.”

“All that was holding her in securely was me. The strap did nothing and easily came undone because it was wet.”

Chaplains visited the park to offer support while others have left tributes at the scene.

‘PEOPLE HYSTERICALLY CRYING’

Witnesses told of their horror at seeing a young girl crying who they believe is the daughter of one of the victims.

“We saw people hysterically crying, running around ... One of the daughters said it was her family,” a witness told Sky News.

Lia Capes said: “We saw [a] little girl and we believe it was her mum because it was just her and her little sister that was an infant.”

“We tried to comfort her to the side to distract her.”

She also said: “I was speaking to one of the guys and he said it was the raft or the boat thing in front of him, the whole thing flipped and everyone was screaming.”

A male witness said “there were kids on board screaming while their mum was trapped under”. Meanwhile another woman said a woman was “crushed” by the ride and left “hanging by her foot”.

PROBLEMS WITH RIDE?

The accident has prompted intense speculation about whether or not the ride was performing well. Witnesses told Nine News they were forced to wait earlier in the day while water was drained and engineers looked at it, however Queensland Police denied knowledge of any prior incidents.

“They drained all the water out and then had to refill it back up, and then we were allowed to go.

“But, yeah, we were stuck there for about 30-40 minutes at least,” one woman told Nine.

Another park-goer Jesse Lovett said he rode the ride earlier with his two-year-old daughter on his lap and was concerned about the velcro strap which was ineffective, he claimed.

Dreamworld CEO Craig Davidson said: “We are deeply shocked and saddened by this. Our hearts and thoughts go out to the families involved and their loved ones.”

The company also issued a statement saying it was working with police to establish the facts.

“Dreamworld’s focus and priority is with the families of those involved in this tragedy and will be providing an update to the public as soon as information becomes available.”

The park will remain closed on Wednesday and Ardent Leisure — the owner of Dreamworld — saw its share price plunge following the incident.

‘We are deeply shocked and saddened by this,’ @Dreamworld_AU CEO Craig Davidson speaks after the fatal incident. https://t.co/ucKbKPJEgE — ABC News 24 (@ABCNews24) October 25, 2016

SECOND SHUTDOWN IN SIX MONTHS

It’s the second time this year the park has been forced to close due to safety concerns over a ride. In April it was shut down for a weekend after a man nearly drowned on a similar ride. Worksafe Queensland allowed it to reopen after an investigation.

A Queensland Workplace Health and Safety spokesman said preliminary reports it may have been an industrial accident on a ride undergoing repair were false.

“The early indications we have is that the ride was operating at the time of the incident,” he said.

Fans of the park have taken to social media to vent fears about ageing equipment and operational issues.

Facebook user Tasneem Seedat gave the popular park a two star review on Monday, saying rides are “out of date and are not as smooth as they should be.”

“I injured myself on the way down from the giant drop because of your old school repairs and upgrades. Wipe-out and a few others need replacing. It just needs a general update all together. All rides are out of date,” she wrote.

“Another major concern is that for all of your rides there is only 1 or at max 2 people operating it and checking harnesses.”

Shocked Dreamworld visitors are streaming out of the theme park after ride incident. @abcgoldcoast pic.twitter.com/jAg87oPqxy — Tom Forbes (@tomforbesGC) October 25, 2016

‘IT WAS A HORRIFIC SCENE’

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said he was saddened to hear of the “tragic accident at Dreamworld earlier today.”

“Theme parks are a place for family fun and happiness, not tragedy. This is a very, very, sad, tragic event. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of those who lost their lives.

“This is a very sad day, and we trust there will be a thorough investigation into the causes of this accident over the days to follow,” he said.

I'm very saddened by the tragedy at Dreamworld today. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families. https://t.co/FGF9vsrB1s — Malcolm Turnbull (@TurnbullMalcolm) October 25, 2016

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk says counsellors are being rushed to Dreamworld to calm people.

“I understand there were many witnesses,” she said. “The scene, I’m told, was horrific. It was a horrific scene.”

Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate said the tragedy was “a very sad day for our city”.

“Our thoughts are with the families of those affected — and the emergency staff in attendance,” he said.

“I urge everyone to show the respect needed as the relevant authorities undertake investigations in to what has occurred.”

Mr Tate was due to visit Dreamworld on Tuesday night. He told news.com.au the city would do everything it could to help the families of the victims.

“I’m just shocked by it. People come to the Gold Coast to have a good time and have wonderful memories. This is the reverse of that.”

US Olympic gold medallist Matthew Centrowitz said he was on the ride just before the accident happened.

Dude! Just got off a ride 15 mins ago that has 1 person seriously injured & 2 others trapped 😧😓 #Dreamworld — Matthew Centrowitz (@MattCentrowitz) October 25, 2016

The Thunder River Rapids Ride is currently Australia’s only river rapids ride and opened on December 11, 1986, reports the Gold Coast Bulletin.

A Dreamworld promotion for the ride describes people “speeding up to 45km/h through turbulent rapids”. Riders board one of several six-person circular rafts and can be as young as two years-old.

The raft is dispatched and the riders travel back past the ride’s queue and into a cave.

Upon exiting the cave, riders experience the main rapids section of the ride. This section runs alongside a large water catchment which powers both the Thunder River Rapids Ride and The Rock Hollow Log Ride.

MAJOR AMUSEMENT PARK ACCIDENTS IN AUSTRALIA SINCE 1968:

• September 12, 2014 — Eight-year-old Adelene Leong dies after being thrown from a high-speed ride at the Royal Adelaide Show.

• May 18, 2013 — Five-year-old boy seriously injured after being flung from the Frizbee ride at a school fete in Highfields, Queensland.

• March 11, 2001 — Eight-year-old girl dies and 11 people injured when an inflatable carriage breaks free from a ride at a carnival in Kapunda, South Australia.

• Sept 2, 2000 — Thirty-seven people hurt when the Spin Dragon ride collapses and drops a 4.3 tonne gondola onto queuing riders at the Royal Adelaide Show.

• Feb. 22, 1997 — 11-year-old girl dies and two boys injured when a carriage on the Octopus ride breaks free and falls to the ground at the Rylstone Show near Mudgee, NSW.

• June 9, 1979 — Six children and one adult die when Sydney’s Luna Park’s Ghost Train catches fire. This occurred two months after 13 people were injured on the Big Dipper when a steel runner came loose on a rollercoaster train on April 16.

• October 24 1968 — High-wire stuntman Adrian Labans, 44, falls to his death during a highwire act at the Royal Hobart Show.

Do you know more? Email victoria.craw@news.com.au

— With AAP</s>Four people have been killed in an accident at a popular theme park on Australia’s east coast.

Miche Paterson, a spokeswoman for Dreamworld, says two men and two women died today while on a river rapids ride at the park, located on Queensland state’s Gold Coast.

She had no information on how the accident occurred.

Paterson says the park was closed following the accident.

Queensland police spokesman Kieran Self said police also did not yet have information on how the injuries occurred.

Aerial footage of the park showed paramedics at the Thunder River Rapids ride, which whisks riders in circular rafts along a fast-moving, man-made river.

The Thunder River Rapids ride was opened in 1986.

The theme park’s website says it allowed riders to travel at up to “45km/h through the turbulent rapids”.

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DOWNLOAD THE SCOTSMAN APP ON ITUNES OR GOOGLE PLAY</s>Four people were killed Tuesday after a river rapids ride malfunctioned at a popular theme park on Australia’s east coast, officials said.

Two men and two women died while on the ride at Dreamworld, a park on Queensland state’s Gold Coast, Queensland police officer Tod Reid told reporters.

The Thunder River Rapids ride whisks people in circular rafts along a fast-moving, man-made river. A malfunction caused two people to be ejected from their raft, while two others were caught inside the ride, said Gavin Fuller, an officer with the Queensland Ambulance Service. He did not know whether the two victims who were caught in the ride were trapped under water, or caught up in the machinery.

Park staffers administered first aid to the victims, but their injuries proved fatal, Fuller told reporters.

The victims were in their 30s and early 40s, he said.

Reid said he was not aware of any previous problems with the ride. Police were interviewing witnesses and reviewing closed-circuit television footage of the incident while crews worked to remove the bodies from the scene on Tuesday night, he said.

“It is a complex retrieval involving heavy equipment and that will take several hours,” Reid said.

Dreamworld CEO Craig Davidson said the park was working with police to try and determine what went wrong.

“We are deeply shocked and saddened by this, and our hearts and our thoughts go out to the families involved and to their loved ones,” Davidson told reporters.

The park was closed following the accident and was expected to remain closed on Wednesday.

A witness, Lia Capes, told the Australian Broadcasting Corp. that she was just about to go on the ride when she saw people running out, crying.

“I was speaking to one of the guys and he said it was the raft or the boat thing in front of him, the whole thing flipped and everyone was screaming,” Capes said.

Thunder River is considered one of Dreamworld’s tamer, family-friendly rides, and is open to children as young as 2. The park, which has been open since 1981, also features several roller coasters and the free-fall ride “The Giant Drop,” where passengers plunge from a height of nearly 120 metres (400 feet). In April, the park’s Rocky Hollow Log Ride was temporarily shut down after a man fell from the ride.

Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said there would be a thorough investigation into the cause of Tuesday’s accident.

“Theme parks are a place for family fun and happiness, not tragedy,” he told reporters.</s>TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Busch Gardens Tampa Bay in Florida has decided to close a river rapids ride after four people were killed on a similar water ride at an amusement park in Australia.

News outlets report Busch Gardens officials say the Congo River Rapids ride was shut down Tuesday “out of an abundance of caution” while they work to understand what happened in Australia.

Officials there say two men and two women died while on the Thunder River Rapids ride after it malfunctioned at Dreamworld, a popular theme park on Queensland’s Gold Coast.

The Thunder River Rapids ride, which Busch Gardens officials say is similar to the Congo River Rapids ride, whisks riders in circular rafts along a fast-moving, man-made river, with a conveyor belt helping move the rafts through the water.</s>SYDNEY (AP) — Four people were killed on Tuesday in an accident at a popular theme park on Australia’s east coast, officials said.

Two men and two women died while on a river rapids ride at Dreamworld, said Miche Paterson, a spokeswoman for the park, located on Queensland state’s Gold Coast. She had no information on how the accident occurred.

The park was closed following the accident, Paterson said.

“Dreamworld is working as quickly as possible to establish the facts around the incident and is working closely with emergency authorities and police to do this,” the park said in a statement.

Aerial footage of the park showed paramedics at the Thunder River Rapids ride, which whisks riders in circular rafts along a fast-moving, man-made river.

Queensland police said they were called to the scene following reports that several people had been injured by a conveyor belt.

“This is a very sad day for our city,” Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate said in a statement. “Our thoughts are with the families of those affected — and the emergency staff in attendance.”</s>SYDNEY — Four people were killed on Tuesday in an accident at a popular theme park on Australia’s east coast, officials said.

Two men and two women died while on a river rapids ride at Dreamworld, a park on Queensland state’s Gold Coast, Queensland police officer Todd Reid told reporters.

The Thunder River Rapids ride whisks people in circular rafts along a fast-moving, man-made river. A malfunction caused two people to be ejected from their raft, while two others were caught inside the ride, said Gavin Fuller, an officer with the Queensland Ambulance Service. He did not know if the two victims who were caught in the ride were trapped under water, or caught up in the machinery.

Park staffers administered first aid to the victims, but their injuries proved fatal.

The victims were in their 30s and early 40s, he said.

Reid said he was not aware of any previous problems with the ride.

Dreamworld CEO Craig Davidson said the park was working with police to try to determine what went wrong.

“We are deeply shocked and saddened by this, and our hearts and our thoughts go out to the families involved and to their loved ones,” Davidson said.

The park was closed following the accident.

A witness, Lia Capes, told the Australian Broadcasting Corp. that she was just about to go on the ride when she saw people running out, crying.

“I was speaking to one of the guys and he said it was the raft or the boat thing in front of him, the whole thing flipped and everyone was screaming,” Capes said.</s>Two men, ages 35 and 32, and two women, ages 42 and 38, were pronounced dead by police following the incident on the Thunder River Rapids Ride at the Dreamworld theme park in Queensland.

Police were called to the site after reports that "a number of people had been injured by a conveyor belt."

"One of the rides had sustained some sort of malfunction, causing two people to be ejected from a ride, another two people were caught inside the ride," said Gavin Fuller, acting senior operations supervisor for Queensland Ambulance Service.

Fuller said the victims had sustained injuries that were not survivable, adding that "a number" of staff from the ambulance service had been "deeply affected by this terrible incident."

Inspector Tod Reid of the Queensland Police told reporters that an investigation is under way and police are trying to contact the victims' families. Police inspect the scene after the accident. Dreamworld, located in Gold Coast, about 45 minutes from Brisbane, is the largest theme park in Australia. It includes animal attractions and more than 50 rides, according to its owner, Ardent Leisure. In a statement, company secretary Alan Shedden said: "Dreamworld's focus and priority is with the families of those involved in this tragedy." Craig Davidson, the park's CEO, announced its closure at a news conference following the accident. We are deeply shocked and saddened by today's accident; our hearts and thoughts go to the families involved and their loved ones. — Dreamworld (@Dreamworld_AU) October 25, 2016 "At this stage, the park is closed and Dreamworld is working closely with police and emergency services to establish the facts around the incident. We are deeply shocked and saddened by this and our hearts and our thoughts go to the families involved and to their loved ones," Davidson said. Billed as a family ride, the Thunder River Rapids Ride has had problems in the past, according to a report by CNN affiliate Seven News. Emergency vehicles are seen in front of Dreamworld after a ride malfunctioned. US Olympian Matthew Centrowitz tweeted that he had just stepped off the ride when he learned that there were injuries. "Dude! Just got off a ride 15 mins ago that has 1 person seriously injured & 2 others trapped. #Dreamworld," the track star's tweet read. The death toll was updated after Centrowitz' tweet posted. Dude! Just got off a ride 15 mins ago that has 1 person seriously injured & 2 others trapped 😧😓 #Dreamworld — Matthew Centrowitz (@MattCentrowitz) October 25, 2016 Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said he is "very saddened" by the "tragic accident." "Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of those who lost their lives. This is a very sad day, and we trust there will be a thorough investigation into the causes of this accident over the days to follow," said a statement on his official website. Heartbreaking news from Dreamworld. Sending our love to the families of those who lost their lives in this devastating tragedy. — Bill Shorten (@billshortenmp) October 25, 2016 Opposition Labor party leader Bill Shorten tweeted his condolences to the families of those affected by the incident. "Heartbreaking news from Dreamworld. Sending our love to the families of those who lost their lives in this devastating tragedy," he wrote. Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate said that incident marked "a very sad day for our city." "Our thoughts are with the families of those affected and the emergency staff in attendance. "I urge everyone to show the respect needed as the relevant authorities undertake investigations in to what has occurred. A truly sad day for all," Tate added. Opened to the public on December 15, 1981, Dreamworld attracts around 1.8 million visitors each year. Ardent Leisure also owns another theme park, WhiteWater World, as well as the Skypoint observation deck, d'Albora Marinas, AMF and Kingpin Bowling and Goodlife Health Clubs.</s>The tragedy at the Thunder River Rapids Ride at Dreamworld on the Gold Coast, the main tourist district in Australia's northeastern state of Queensland, ranks among the world's deadliest theme park accidents.

"One of the rides sustained a malfunction, causing two people to be ejected from a ride, and the other two were caught inside," Gavin Fuller, an official of Queensland Ambulance, told reporters.

The four dead ranged in age from their early 30s to their early 40s. It was not immediately clear if they were locals or tourists, police said.

"Dreamworld will remain closed tomorrow as a mark of respect for the victims and their families," Ardent said in a statement, adding that it was working with emergency services to establish what had happened.

Asked if there were any earlier problems with the ride, Todd Reid, an inspector with Queensland Police, said, "I'm not aware, but that will be part of the investigation."

The ride, meant to simulate going over river rapids, uses round floating devices that seat six, and can reach speeds of 28 mph. It is described by Dreamworld as a "moderate thrill" attraction for those older than 2.

"There were kids onboard screaming while their mum was trapped under. I'd rather not talk about what I saw," one unidentified man told Australia's Channel 9.

Visitors to the theme park, 30 miles south of Brisbane, said they had seen repairs to the ride before the accident, but a Dreamworld spokeswoman told Reuters she was unable to confirm the reports.

Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said there would be a thorough investigation to determine the cause of the accident.

Tuesday's tragedy is one of the worst theme park accidents on record.

Earlier incidents include eight teenagers killed in a 1984 fire at the Six Flags Great Adventure amusement park in New Jersey in the United States; seven dead in Sydney's Luna Park ghost train fire in 1979; six people killed by a failed simulated rocket launch in Shenzhen, China, in 2010 and five children killed when the Battersea Park Big Dipper malfunctioned in Britain in 1972.</s>INTERNATIONAL NEWS - Four people have been critically injured on a ride at the Dreamworld theme park on Australia's Gold Coast, say police.

Details are unclear, but Queensland police said they were attending a "critical incident" at the park.

"There is nothing further we can confirm at this stage," they said in a Twitter statement. Dreamworld bills itself as Australia's biggest theme park with more than 50 rides and attractions. The incident is believed to have happened on the Thunder River Rapids ride.

Currently Australia's only river rapids ride, it was opened in 1986.

The theme park's website says it allowed riders to travel at up to "45km/h through the turbulent rapids".</s>Police probing how four people were killed when a river rapids ride flipped at Australia's biggest theme park say CCTV has captured exactly how the tragedy unfolded.

Four adults - Cindy Low, Kate Goodchild, Luke Dorsett and Roozi Araghi - died at the Dreamworld theme park on the Thunder River Rapids ride.

Queensland Police Assistant Commissioner Brian Codd said officers have reviewed CCTV revealing one raft flipped after a crash and the victims were tossed onto a conveyor belt.

They were then crushed after being caught in the ride's mechanism.
• Fourth victim of Dreamworld theme park horror was mum who died in front of 10-year-old son

He said: "Two of those (rafts) have come together and as a result one has flipped backwards and it has caught and tossed some of the people that were on the ride backwards on the conveyor belt.

He said after the raft flipped it resulted in “persons being variously caught in machinery”.

Investigators will spend weeks scouring yesterday’s accident scene and interviewing witnesses in an all-out effort to confirm the exact cause of the tragedy.

Cindy Low, 42, died in front of her 10-year-old son, who managed to escape it has emerged.
• Dreamworld rollercoaster crash: Four dead in theme park horror after water ride carriage 'flips over on conveyor belt'

Cindy was on the ill-fated ride with husband Matthew and their children, a boy and a girl aged six.

According to local media, Cindy and her son were on a separate raft to her husband and daughter when tragedy struck.

Their raft apparently 'flipped over' when another in front became lodge on the conveyor belt near the end of the ride.

The four adults on board, including Cindy as well as Kate Goodchild, Kate's brother, Luke Dorsett and Roozi Araghi, were all killed after getting trapped underneath.

Cindy's son and Kate's 12-year-old daughter managed to escape but both saw their mothers killed in front of them.

It is believed Cindy, who was originally from New Zealand but lived in Sydney, did not know the others on her raft.

Police have described it as "a miracle" that the children survived.

Queensland Police Assistant Commissioner Brian Codd said: "In terms of how they escaped, maybe through the providence of God.

"From what I have seen, it's almost a miracle that anybody came out of that."

It is the latest grim detail to emerge from the worst theme park accident in Australia for almost 40 years.

Investigations into what caused it are ongoing.
• Eyewitness describes harrowing Dreamworld accident as rapids ride 'flipped' leaving woman 'hanging by her foot' on Australia's Gold Coast

Police are investigating if the cause of the incident was equipment malfunction or if it was human error.

Visitors said they had seen the ride being repaired earlier, but Dreamworld was unable to confirm the reports.

Asked if there were any earlier problems with the ride, Todd Reid, an inspector with Queensland Police, said: “I’m not aware, but that will be part of the investigation.”

The ride, which simulates river rapids, uses tyre-shaped floating rafts that seat six and can reach speeds of 28mph.

It is described as a “moderate thrill” attraction for anyone aged two or older.

Park owner Ardent Leisure Group said Dreamworld would remain closed today out of respect for the victims.

Chief executive Craig Davidson said the firm was “deeply shocked and saddened by this and our hearts and thoughts go to the families involved and their loved ones”.

The tragedy comes a month after Alton Towers in Staffordshire was fined £5million for the Smiler rollercoaster crash which left 16 people injured, including two teenage girls who needed legs amputating.

The world’s worst theme park accidents include a 1971 fire at Six Flags Great Adventure Park in New Jersey, US, that left eight teenagers dead.

Seven were killed by fire at Sydney’s Luna Park ghost train in 1979.
An accident on board the Thunder River Rapids Ride at Dreamworld on the Gold Coast in Queensland, Australia, leaves four people dead.