As investigations into the shocking deaths at Dreamworld continue, it has been revealed the water pump of the Thunder River Rapids ride had malfunctioned on several occasions in the lead-up to the tragedy.
With police now looking into the water pump as the potential cause for the fatal accident on the ride, Dreamworld has admitted the pump failed on two occasions before being repaired, and failed the week prior to the accident.
‘It is not unusual in a water ride for there to be issues with the hydraulic pump — leaf litter, for example, can cause an issue,’ a spokeswoman said.
As the company considers demolishing the ride for good, the theme park’s reputation has further come under fire with allegations it knowingly understaffed the 13-story Cyclone rollercoaster.
Defending their decision to go against manufacturer’s advice and staff the rollercoaster with only one person instead of the recommended two or three, senior staff say the decision to run ‘with one operator, was made after a long and exhaustive risk assessment process’.
With crash-test dummies now being used as part of the exhaustive investigation into the deaths of Canberra man Luke Dorsett, partner Roozi Araghi, sister Kate Goodchild and Sydney woman Cindy Low, the future of Dreamworld remains unclear, with around 200 staff members returning to work to carry out administration or maintenance duties.
‘At this point there is no time-frame or decision,’ said Dreamworld chief executive Craig Davidson on the potential re-opening.
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