Dad who fell from rollercoaster was with teen daughter, witnesses say

Father who was rushed to hospital after falling from 26ft rollercoaster had been on the ride with his teenage daughter as carriages were ‘wobbling’, witnesses say

• Man rushed to hospital after a ‘serious’ medical emergency on a rollercoaster
• Incident occurred at Oakwood Theme Park in Pembrokeshire, south-west Wales
• Witnesses raised the alarm after hearing ‘horrific screams’ on Sunday
• One says he saw a father dangled from Treetops ride with legs still stuck inside 
• Witnesses say the man was with his teen daughter and saw ‘wobbling’ carriages 

A father who was rushed to hospital after falling from a 26ft high rollercoaster had been on the ride with his teenage daughter with carriages that were ‘wobbling,’ witnesses have claimed. 

Visitors to the Oakwood Theme Park in Narberth, Pembrokeshire, watched in horror as a man reportedly dangled from the Treetops ride with his legs still trapped inside before he plunged onto the ground under the tracks on Sunday. 

‘Horrific screams’ were heard and ‘people were shouting stop’ as part of the ride slid off the tracks and staff panicked to halt it, it was claimed. 

Witnesses said people held the man’s daughter in place to stop her from falling out.

The man was rushed to hospital following the incident in south-west Wales as the site was evacuated and closed to the public ‘with immediate effect’. 

Oakwood, the largest theme park in Wales with 400,000 visitors a year, was said to have been running a Halloween-themed event at the time.

The theme park told Mail Online they were ‘deeply saddened’ by the incident and confirmed a visitor was left injured.

They said the park would reopen on Saturday for the half term in Wales but the Treetops ride will remain closed for the duration of investigations. 

A witness described seeing the passengers in shock and a man lying face down on the ground after the incident in south-west Wales on Sunday

Aaron McCalmon, 47, had been waiting with his daughter to go on the rollercoaster which reaches speeds of 22mph.

He said: ‘I heard a big bang and saw the man hanging out with his legs stuck in the carriage.

‘He was trying to pull himself back in but as it was coming down, it went around and he fell out.

‘He was with his teenage daughter. As he fell out the people behind had to hold his daughter to stop her from falling out.’

Mr McCalmon, of Port Talbot, South Wales, claimed he had previously been turned away from the ride because it was being checked.

He said: ‘This was our second attempt to go on the ride. The first time they were working on that carriage so said to come back.

‘I did see the guy checking the bars before it went, but it still opened.’

Eye-witness Dr Harriet Lloyd heard screaming and people shouting ‘stop’ while waiting for her husband and son who were on the ride at the time.

She said: ‘One of the carriages on the back of the ride had been shaking as it had been going round. It looked like the last few carriages were wobbling.

‘My husband had noticed there was a man and a teenage girl in the carriage at the back of the ride.

‘When he turned around the man was no longer there and then they saw him on the second descent of the ride and he’d obviously been thrown out of a carriage.

‘He could see him and then the passengers were trying to help hold the last carriage on because the girl was still in it and it was still moving around.’

Dr Lloyd said she was left ‘upset’ that her husband and son were on the ride and could have been in the carriage at the rear.

An air ambulance attended a ‘serious’ medical emergency at Oakwood Theme Park on Sunday

Witnesses described hearing screams for help from people trapped in the rollercoaster. 

Sean Hayes, of, London, was visiting with his wife and daughter when he heard screams just one minute into the Treetops ride.

He said: ‘I shouted for the ride to stop and staff were clearly panicking to get it stopped.

‘It went on for a bit before it grinded to a halt. We had to evacuate the ride on a bend and staff were present to help people off.’

Mr Hayes said he went to collect his bag after getting off the ride before he saw a man lying on the ground.

He added: ‘Within 20 mins an air ambulance arrived and I also saw a lot of police turning up.’

Emergency services rushed to the theme park while the site was evacuated. 

An air ambulance attended the scene and an investigation was launched into the ride by the health and safety regulator. 

A spokesperson for the Health and Safety Executive said they are investigating the incident at the park (stock image)

One man at the theme park said he tried to get on the ride just before the accident but was told it was undergoing engineering work. 

When he came back ten minutes later, he claimed the rollercoaster had come off its tracks.

He told The Mirror: ‘Less than a minute into the ride I heard horrific screams and noticed the back end of the coaster slipping and sliding off the track and a girl crying in severe distress and what appeared to be the bar raised.

‘We had to evacuate the ride on a bend and staff were present to help people off. I saw a mobile phone and a flip-flop on the grass and realised someone must have come off the ride.

‘A group of girls were in shock and I asked them if they were ok which clearly they weren’t.

‘When I went to retrieve my bag I saw a gentleman lying face down with a member of staff and a paramedic. He wasn’t moving but staff later told me he was conscious and talking.’

The 30-year-old Treetops rollercoaster promises ‘a magical adventure through the woodlands surrounding the park’ (stock image)

The theme park in Pembrokeshire, south-west Wales, was evacuated following the accident 

The small family park opened in the late 1980s and the Treetops rollercoaster has been running for nearly 30 years, according to its website (stock image)

The small family park opened in the late 1980s and the Treetops rollercoaster has been running for nearly 30 years, according to its website.

The ‘family ride’ promises ‘a magical adventure through the woodlands surrounding the park.

‘Set high up in the treetops, you’ll twist, bend, and drop through the tree canopy.

‘As one of our most popular rollercoasters, this ride has been thrilling generations of families for nearly 30 years.’

The park first opened 35-years-ago and is now owned by the Spanish-owned leisure operator Aspro.

It was sold to the group following the tragic death of 16-year-old Hayley Williams in 2004.

Hayley fell 100 feet from the theme park’s white-knuckle Hydro water ride.

Hayley Williams 16, who fell to her death from the Hydro rollercoaster at Oakwood Theme Park in April 2004

Previous owners Oakwood Leisure were fined £250,000 and ordered to pay £80,000 costs after they breached the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974.

The Health and Safety Executive are investigating the latest incident at the park.

A spokesperson earlier said a man was airlifted to hospital by the Wales Air Ambulance.

They said: ‘We investigate Health and Safety law and Health and Safety breaches.

‘We need to find out what, if anything, has happened at Oakwood Theme Park, and we need to establish is there is a work-related element involved.

‘We will continue to work alongside the Dyfed-Powys Police in the investigation.’

Head of operations for the HSE in Wales Sian Clayton said: ‘Our inspectors are investigating an incident on the Treetops rollercoaster at Oakwood Theme Park.

‘We will provide more information when we can.’

The full statement from Oakwood Theme Park said: ‘We are deeply saddened by the incident that took place on our Treetops ride on Sunday 23rd October in which one of our visitors sustained an injury. 

‘We are co-operating fully with the HSE investigation into the incident and are unable to comment further at this stage. 

‘The health, safety, and wellbeing of all our visitors and staff is of paramount importance to us. 

‘Following guidance from the HSE, Oakwood Theme Park will re-open for the half term holiday in Wales on Saturday 29th October as planned with Treetops remaining closed during the period of investigation. 

‘All guests affected by yesterday’s closure, will be contacted directly by a member of our team.’ 

Mail Online has contacted Oakwood Theme Park for further comment. 

Dyfed-Powys Police were contacted for comment but said HSE were leading the investigation. 

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