Victims of Dreamworld ride 'died almost instantly'

The four victims of Australia's Dreamworld theme park accident in 2016 "died almost instantly" after being thrown from a ride, a Coroners Court has heard.

The long-awaited inquest into the water ride malfunction had its first preliminary hearing on Tuesday.

It heard that victims Kate Goodchild, Luke Dorsett, Roozi Araghi and Cindy Low were crushed when their raft collided with another raft and flipped.

The hearing was advised that a water pump had stopped working just before the accident.

The collision took place at the end of the Thunder River Rapids ride, an attraction that simulated the experience of white-water rafting.

Two children were also on the raft but managed to escape, counsel assisting the inquest Ken Fleming told the Coroners Court of Queensland.

Fleming said the tragedy happened about 15 seconds after a pump stopped working and caused water levels to drop.

He advised that a raft that was ahead of the one carrying the families was stranded on steel railing at the time of the impact adding that the children were thrown free when the second raft overturned but the adults suffered fatal injuries.

The inquest, which is expected to run into next year, will examine whether the fatalities could have been avoided through factors such as ride construction and maintenance.

Staff training and other safety measures that were in place will also be investigated.

Another preliminary hearing has been scheduled for next month, with the formal inquest would most likely begin in June or July.

Fleming said the inquest should first examine the accident and the response, before later exploring whether reforms should be made.

Last year, Queensland Police recommended that no Dreamworld employees should face criminal charges.

Dreamworld's owner, Ardent Leisure, has said it will co-operate with the inquest. It demolished the Thunder River Rapids ride last year.

Ardent has also advised that its former Chief Executive Deborah Thomas, who was paid out more than $730,000 when she stepped down from the role last year, will receive $3000 for each day of work she does on the inquest.

However, Thomas will not paid for appearances at the inquest despite initial reports saying she would be.

In a statement issued to Yahoo7 News, Ardent Leisure said Thomas's fee would be on top of her termination benefit of $731,291.

The statement advised "Ms Thomas will be paid a consultancy fee of $3000 per day, for each day reasonably expanded in relation to the coronial inquest.

“The board has determined this arrangement is appropriate based on external professional advice and market benchmarking."

The Queensland Government introduced industrial manslaughter laws following the accident and other unrelated workplace deaths.

Image: The victims of the Dreamworld ride tragedy, from left: Kate Goodchild, Luke Dorsett, Roozi Araghi and Cindy Low. Images courtesy of Facebook. 

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2nd February 2018 - ARDENT LEISURE REPORTS SLOWER THAN EXPECTED GROWTH IN DREAMWORLD VISITATION

25th January 2018 - DREAMWORLD REOPENS POPULAR WATER RIDE 

20th December 2017 - ARDENT LEISURE SELLS BOWLING CENTRES DIVISION FOR $160 MILLION

9th November 2017 - ARDENT LEISURE CHIEF EXECUTIVE SIMON KELLY TO LEAVE AFTER JUST FOUR MONTHS IN ROLE

9th November 2017 - DREAMWORLD REJECTS CRITICISM OF ANIMAL CARE AT TIGER ISLAND ATTRACTION

26th October 2017 - DREAMWORLD MARKS RIDE TRAGEDY ANNIVERSARY WITH QUIET STAFF COMMEMORATION

21st October 2017 - QUEENSLAND POLICE SAY NO STAFF SHOULD BE PROSECUTED OVER 2016 DREAMWORLD DEATHS 

16th October 2017 - QUEENSLAND PARLIAMENT PASSES INDUSTRIAL MANSLAUGHTER LAWS IN WAKE OF DREAMWORLD FATALITIES 

27th August 2017 - DREAMWORLD TRAGEDY HIGHLIGHTS LEGAL DUTY OF CARE FOR THEME PARK GUESTS

23rd August 2017 - QUEENSLAND TO IMPLEMENT NEW SAFETY LAWS FOLLOWING DREAMWORLD TRAGEDY REPORT

11th July 2017 - DREAMWORLD BATTLES INCONSISTENT ATTENDANCES AND FALLING REVENUES

30th June 2017 - DREAMWORLD LAUNCHES AFTER DARK THRILL EXPERIENCE 

24th May 2017 - ARDENT LOOKS TO QUASH DREAMWORLD SALE RUMOURS, EXPLORES SITE REZONING PLAN

9th May 2017 - DREAMWORLD SUFFERS FURTHER ATTENDANCE AND REVENUE SLUMP 

16th April 2017 - CONSULTING ENGINEER REBUTS AUSTRALIAN WOMEN’S WEEKLY RIDE SAFETY ‘INVESTIGATION’

4th April 2017 - ARDENT LEISURE CHIEF EXECUTIVE ‘APPEARED TO BE DUCKING FOR COVER’ FOLLOWING DREAMWORLD FATALITIES 

13th March 2017 - PARKZ WEBSITE LAUNCHES SUPPORT OUR THEME PARKS CAMPAIGN 

16th January 2017 - PERCEPTION OF SAFETY AND SECURITY BOOST AUSTRALIA’S INTERNATIONAL TOURISM GROWTH 

10th December 2016 - GUESTS TRICKLE BACK AS DREAMWORLD REOPENS 

29th October 2016 - QUEENSLAND GOVERNMENT TO UNDERTAKE ‘SAFETY BLITZ’ ON THEME PARKS

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