Four people dead in accident at Dreamworld on Gold Coast

• Tuesday’s coverage of horrific Dreamworld ride tragedy
• Witnesses shocked: ‘People in there were screaming’
• Fatal ride closed earlier in day
• Previous problem with conveyor belt system
• Queensland Premier says country in ‘deep sense of shock’

Roozbeh Araghi, 38, Luke Dorsett, 35, and Kate Goodchild, 32, died after the Thunder River Rapids ride they were on apparently malfunctioned, with one of the rafts flipping on a conveyor belt, the Courier-Mail reports.

A 42-year-old woman that also died at the tragic scene is yet to be publicly identified although New Zealand media is reporting an Australian-based woman originally from Auckland, who was on holiday at the Gold Coast with her husband and children, is among the victims.

Ms Goodchild’s partner and young daughters had to be consoled by emergency services as the tragedy unfolded.

It is believed the group were on the Gold Coast for a holiday from the national capital.

Last night police and consular officials were working to notify relatives of one of the men.

Ms Goodchild was a doting mother, whose Facebook page was filled with photos of her happy family.

Mr Araghi and Mr Dorsett made legal history in the ACT two years ago, successfully challenging a stamp duty bill on a home they bought.

The horror accident happened just after 2pm on the Thunder River Rapids ride, which is a water-based raft ride using a conveyor belt.

A young girl howled hysterically as her mum and three friends lay dead on the ride in the first fatalities in the park’s 35-year history.

All four were pronounced dead at the scene in the worst Australian theme park disaster since 1979, when seven people died in a fire on the Ghost Train at Luna Park in Sydney.

Thousands of people poured out in to the car park as Dreamworld went in to lockdown.

It is expected to remain closed for several days as forensic officers, ride engineers and safety officials try to determine just what went wrong.

The case has been referred to the State Coroner and will almost certainly become the subject of a coronial inquest.

In the shadows of the Tower of Terror, a different kind of terror unfolded about 2.20pm, when the raft the group were travelling in apparently flipped at the bottom of a conveyor belt, pinning them underwater.

Emergency services and Dreamworld officials gave little detail on how the tragedy occurred but it is understood two of the group were crushed by the weight of the capsizing pod while two others were crushed against the conveyor belt, just metres from dozens of guests waiting in the queue for their turn on the ride.

Ironically, the ride is considered one of the most sedate in the park, which prides itself on hosting some of Australia’s biggest and best thrill rides.

Guests, including young children, float down a gently rolling river, lifting over small rapids in a ride where the biggest concern is usually whether you will get wet by an electronic elephant that squirts water at passing rafts.

Guests reported that the ride had been twice shut down for repairs the same morning, but Dreamworld had not provided any confirmation or details of any mechanical issues.

FATAL RIDE CLOSED EARLIER IN THE DAY

Dreamworld chief executive Craig Davidson said park staff were ‘deeply shocked and saddened’ by the tragedy and ‘our hearts and thoughts go to the families involved and their loved ones’.

Gold Coast police Inspector Tod Reid said forensic pathologists, the state coroner and specialist police had assessed the scene.

He said the investigation process would be slow and police would be on scene well into the night.

“It is a complex retrieval involving heavy equipment,” he said.

Insp Reid said witnesses had been taken to nearby police stations to be interviewed by trained investigators.

He said witnesses and responding police have been offered support.

WITNESSES SHOCKED: ‘PEOPLE IN THERE WERE SCREAMING’

Insp Reid confirmed CCTV of the incident had been captured.

As patrons left the park, many received calls from worries family members who had heard the news on social media.

Some were left wondering exactly what had happened, finding out as they gathered on the front steps of Dreamworld.

Police used drones to conduct further investigations into the tragedy.

Already the horrifying ordeal has cast a dark cloud over people of the Gold Coast, which proudly wears the motto of ‘Famous for Fun’ and the theme park capital of the country.

Thousands of locals gushed in to online tributes, reminiscing about their own times at Dreamworld, which will now never be the same.

Gold Coast mayor Tom Tate visited the park to pay his condolences to the family.

“The Gold Coast is renowned for giving people wonderful memories,” he said.

“This tragedy is a shock and we’re not used to it. We’ll band together as a community and help the family and friends involved.”

Summer Williams, of Victoria, said she was counting her lucky stars after opting not to take her kids on the ride.

“We were planning on heading there as it was happening,” she said.

“We were on a ride when all of a sudden the (park attendant) told us to evacuate. It was just really eerie and sombre when we left the park. We could tell something horrible had happened.”

Victorian tourist Lee Grogan said his family had been on the ride earlier that day.

“After we got off we watched from the bridge and a few cars were piling up,” he said.

“My sister and niece were on the ride, they are so traumatised, there is a woman hanging by her foot, crushed from the ride,” said one person.

A man who witnessed the incident said the ride flipped at the very end of its circuit.

The man, who declined to be named, said a girl was pulled from the ride just before it flipped.

Another witness Leah Capes said she was waiting near the ride entrance when people came running from the rapid ride line.

“The kids and people in there were screaming,” she said.

“It all happened so quickly,” said a shaken Ms Capes of Varsity Lakes.

“There were heaps of people crying, it all happened so fast.”

Some park attendees were not aware there had been an accident until they left the park.

Parkgoers took to social media to express their shock, with 1500m US Olympic gold medallist Matthew Centrowitz commenting ‘Dude, just got off a ride 15 mins ago that has 1 person seriously injured and 2 others trapped’.

Chaplains travelled down from Brisbane to console distressed patrons outside the park following yesterday’s dramatic events.

They said park management had handled the scenario “exceptionally well, considering the circumstances”.

Extra buses were put in place to move people on pretty quickly,” one chaplain said.

“There were a few reasonably distraught people. We just had to speak with them to calm them down.

“It was handled very well.”

Earlier this year, a man was hospitalised after being thrown from a separate log ride.

The man received cuts to his head and was taken to the Gold Coast Hospital in April this year.

Queensland Ambulance spokeswoman said he had swallowed water and became hypothermic.

RELATED: MAN SUES DREAMWORLD AFTERT FALLING OFF LOG RIDE

Workplace Health and Safety investigated the incident.

Rides have malfunctioned from time to time but Dreamworld has long prided itself on an outstanding safety record over almost four decades since opening in 1981.

As well as laying claim to the title of Australia’s biggest theme park with more than 40 rides and attractions, Dreamworld has earnt an outstanding international reputation for its efforts towards conservation through Tiger Island and the Dreamworld Wildlife Foundation.

Shares in Ardent Leisure Group, which owns Dreamworld, plunged after the accident.

At 2.50pm, the share price started to fall, ending the day at $2.35, down 20c or 7.8 per cent.

The park will remain closed on Wednesday and could remain shut to guests for some time during the early stages of the investigation.

— withChris Honnery, Sam Phillips, Tom Chamberlin and Clare Armstrong