Two children miraculously survived the theme park tragedy that killed four adults on Australia’s Gold Coast on Sunday.
Two men and two women were fatally injured on the Thunder River Rapids attraction at the Dreamworld in Queensland.
Two of the dead have been identified as siblings Kate Goodchild (32) and Luke Dorsett (35), who were enjoying a family day out at the park. The brother and sister had been on holiday with their mother, Kim Goodchild, and Kate’s young daughters.
“I have three children and have lost two of them today – my whole family has been wiped out,” Ms. Goodchild told The Courier-Mail newspaper.
Two other victims, a 38-year-old man and a 42 year-old woman, have yet to be publicly identified.
Hundreds of people are gathered at @Dreamworld_AU for a candlelight vigil. #9News pic.twitter.com/CpCopUrESx
— Nine News Gold Coast (@9NewsGoldCoast) October 26, 2016
Queensland Police Assistant Commissioner Brian Codd told reporters that the accident was caused when two of the rafts collided near the end of the ride. The two children, aged 10 and 12, had been in the raft with the deceased but managed to escape when it capsized.
Mr Codd said security footage showed how the rafts malfunctioned:
“One has flipped backward and it has caught and tossed some of the people that were on the ride backward into the conveyor belt,” he said.
The children were able to scramble to safety.
“In terms of how they escaped, maybe through the providence of God or somebody, but it seems from what I’ve seen almost a miracle that anybody came out of that,”
“If we’re going to be thankful for anything, I’m thankful for that.” he added.
Dreamworld remains closed while police investigate.
Main image: The Courier Mail
