‘I raced to save the screaming victims…’ eyewitness tells horrifying story of rollercoaster that smashed into packed tots’ ride
Eight kids and two adults injured after coaster plunges on to kiddies ride leaving one girl in a coma
A DAD told last night how he tried to help screaming victims after a rollercoaster plunged 30ft off the track before smashing into a kiddies’ ride.
Paul McFadden, 34, raced to the scene of the terrifying theme-park crash and comforted an 11-year-old boy with a severe hand injury
He also rescued a woman from an upside-down carriage on the Tsunami ride — which had been closed down for maintenance just hours before the horror incident at M&D’s in Motherwell, Scotland.
It left ten people needing hospital treatment, including a 12-year-old girl critically ill with head injuries.
Recalling the moment the rollercoaster hurtled off the track, Paul, from Grangemouth, Stirlingshire, said: “I was about 20ft or 30ft away on one of the other rides at the park.
“We heard a massive crash over at the Tsunami and loud screams.
Tsunami: The 38mph ride that left 11 people injured
Speed – 38mph / G-Force 4
Ride Duration – 1 minute 5 seconds
Length – 1,1148ft
Height – 65ft
Highlights - Corkscrew twists, turns and loops
Type – Inverted (where cars run beneath the track)
History – First inverted coaster to be made by Italian firm Pinfari
Age – Located at M&Ds since 2004 after spell on travelling fair circuit and at the Millennium Dome
Controversy – 2011 incident requiring customers to be rescued from broken down ride
“I ran over and saw the carriage was on top of a kid’s bike. It must have toppled on to the railings then fallen on to the other ride.
“I went over to see if anyone needed help. There was a boy who was still in the carriage and he was in bad shape.
“His hand was mangled pretty badly and he had a big cut on his leg.
“He was there with a friend but his parents weren’t there, so he was really upset. The lad told me his name was Liam and that he was 11 years old.
“I just tried to talk to him to keep him calm until they got him out. I really hope the medics can save his hand.”
Paul also saved another woman who was trapped in the mangled carriage.
He’d gone to M&D’s with partner Lisa Richardson, 34, son Andrew Richardson, two, and eight-year-old niece Grace Eve Anderson. All had worn plastic ponchos as heavy rain fell during the day.
Another witness, James Millerick, told how he heard “shrieks” after the sickening impact. He said: “There was absolute silence as people ran across to see what had happened.
“When we got there the rollercoaster had come off the track entirely, straight through the fence, and was upside down on the concrete path at the side.
“There were seven or eight people, mostly kids aged between maybe 10 and 15, who were actually trapped inside the rollercoaster lying on the ground.
“A lot of people went over to help, including myself and my other half who are both first aiders.”
RESCUE OP PARK'S THIRD IN 5YRS
THIS is not the first time equipment has failed on one of the five rollercoasters at the £40million theme park.
Nine customers had to be rescued from the Tsunami after a 2011 mechanical fault.
In March eight people got stranded 20ft in the air when the Tornado ride stuck.
A cherry picker was used to pluck five kids and three adults to safety.
The Italian-built Tsunami operated in Spain and France before coming to the UK in 2003. It was an attraction at the Millennium Dome in London, moving to Motherwell in 2004.
Last month M&D’s, which leases land from North Lanarkshire Council, applied for an extension to its grounds.
Around 400 people work at the park which gets 750,000 visitors a year.
Katie Burns, 21, of Glasgow, said: “I’d just got off the Tsunami and the next lot of people had got on when the whole thing came off the tracks.
“I’ve never been so scared in my life. It should not be on in this weather.”
Gordon Conner, 45, of Bellshill, Lanarkshire, was at the park with his two sons when the accident happened.
He said: “My wee boy came running to tell me the carriage had come down and wheels had flown off.
“It happened just after a downpour. I walked up and saw people lying on the ground next to the carriage. There were loads of kids screaming. I’m still a bit shaken by it all.”
Sources at the park said there had been problems with the Tsunami over the weekend and it had only re-opened a few hours before the horror accident.
An insider said: “The ride was off on Saturday due to maintenance and had been closed earlier on Sunday.”
An M&D’s worker, who asked not to be named, said: “Apparently the rollercoaster was off earlier because of the rain and then it was put back on after the rain stopped. But no one knows yet what caused this.”
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The popular theme park remained shut last night as an investigation got under way into the incident, which happened on the first weekend of the summer holidays for schoolkids in the area.
Local Member of the Scottish Parliament, Richard Lyle, who headed to the park after hearing about the crash, said: “I’m shocked but I want to ensure that everything is being done.
“I’m just here to give my support to anyone who needs it.”
Chief Inspector David Bruce said: “A series of five gondolas connected in a train on the Tsunami ride detached from the rails, struck the superstructure and then struck the ground.
“As a result, ten people have been injured, two adults and eight children.
“All have been taken to hospitals — Wishaw General and the Queen Elizabeth and Royal Infirmary in Glasgow.
“We’ve launched an enquiry involving Police Scotland and the Health and Safety Executive.” First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said last night: “My thoughts are with everyone involved in this terrible incident, especially those injured.”
Alton pair's sorrow for casualties
ALTON Towers rollercoaster smash victims last night sent messages of support to casualties of the Tsunami ride.
Joe Pugh, 19, who suffered horror leg injuries last June posted: “Just heard about the rollercoaster crash at M&Ds.
“Things like this just shouldn’t happen.”
His girlfriend Leah Washington, 18, who lost a leg in the crash, tweeted: “My thoughts go out to those involved in the rollercoaster accident at M&D’s.”
The pair were among 16 people trapped when two carriages on The Smiler coaster collided. Three others were also seriously injured.
Merlin Attractions Operations, which owns the Staffordshire theme park, faces a multi-million pound fine after admitting safety breaches.
A spokeswoman for M&D’s said: “As a family-run company, our thoughts are with those who have been injured and their families.
“We are cooperating fully with Police Scotland and the Health and Safety Executive on their joint investigation.”