Menu
What's new
By:
Filters

Girl falls from tomb blaster queue

The comments on Facebook are insane. People mobbing and just having a go at the park everyone who's looking at this sensibly.
It's turning into a game of Chinese whispers with facts getting stretched and people believing what others are saying with no evidence. It's quite funny to read but it's annoying how stupid people are.

I even saw one guy get called a "disgusting human being" because he asked how much it costs to visit so he could take his family on a day out.
 
Still think someone was holing her looking at something and dropped her, if they don't find any gaps in the fence, this is obvious what's happened, it's not like it has happened before.

All the people's comments on the Facebook are ridiculous. I really want a voice of reason to say something, it makes you laugh, all these idiots that obviously don't know what's gone on but are trying to look like good people, when it turns out, most of these people are probably scum any other day of the week, but are trying to do something good. Yes, praying will get her far.......... /Rant about do-gooding tossers.
 
The whole Facebook hate-mob thing is ridiculous and I have said so on there. Its just so unnecessary. The calls to have the place shut down are just beyond over the top. If they knew about some of the other accidents that have happened at parks.......

Imagine how stupid they will all look if the HSE people find that actually, CWoA are not to blame...
 
Lofty said:
All the people's comments on the Facebook are ridiculous. I really want a voice of reason to say something
Click to expand...
There was a voice of reason on there (he was even posting google maps and images) but people shouted him down and (seemingly) deleted their posts so that his replies went too.
 
The height is still significant onto a solid floor like that. As an adult I have fallen five feet and broken a collar bone, split my head open bit a bit of my tongue off and was unconcious briefly.

A four-year-old child falling nearly three times this and obviously onto her head would be extremely damaging.

However the 30 feet claims in the tabloids are just typical sensationalism.
 
I posted the original Google Maps link on there, but one particularly stupid person decided that because it showed ropes as theming it was evidence of Chessington's lackluster repairs.

There's no reasoning with some people.

Like I've been saying the whole time on there, the truth will come out as the investigation goes on, and if Chessington are found to be responsible, which they may well be, they will be held to account. It may not be. There are so many variables to consider, which is what the HSE will be doing now, and the stupidity of people on the Facebook page is helping no one. I've tried to be rational about it and been shot down by the angry mob, people are even abusing others for wishing the poor girl well now! I suppose it was bound to happen once The Sun got hold of the story.

The most important thing at the moment is the girl's health and wellbeing. And I do sincerely wish her the best and a very speedy recovery - something I can do here without repercussion!
 
Some people on the facebook page are outrageous. Apparently, according to one person, I think that the plank was taken away on purpose by the park!?!
 
It's all just a massive game of Chinese whispers. And the people arguing and being horrible are the ones that are pretending to 'care' the most. If they cared so much then they'd want to respect the families wishes for some privacy at this difficult time for them. Not taking what someone said on facebook as a fact.

People are saying that the fence was reported the day before by 2 people (while several others keep saying they were there the day before and there wasn't anything wrong). The story keeps changing between the fence being broken and there being planks missing. So because someone posted a comment on Facebook saying that people suddenly assume it's fact and it happened. Also the stupid people thinking the themeing is Chessingtons unsafe way of holding the bridge up are hilarious. One person even posted saying saying that the bridge was made from string lol.

The worst thing is though that everyone wishes the same thing which is that Jessica recovers ok. But the people wanting to know the truth and not getting swept up by the media sensationalism and rumours on the internet are the ones being called heartless.
 
The media and face book can be terrible things. It is hard to say what injuries and adult would receive if they fell from that height, I tripped over a curb at Thorpe Park and broke my elbow.
 
This news article tells the mother's side of the story.

http://www.kentonline.co.uk/kentonline/ ... _fall.aspx

The mother of a four-year-old girl seriously injured at Chessington World of Adventures has spoken for the first time about the moment she plunged from a bridge.

Sarah Archer told how a fence Jessica Blake had put her hands on while queuing for a ride gave way - and she fell 14ft to the ground.

She said: "She was in front of me. We were all stood still in the queue.

“She simply had her hands on the fence. When the people came to move along in the queue, she fell through.
Click to expand...

It sounds, judging on this account, the girl was queuing normally and the fence gave way. From memory, there are not gaps big enough for anybody to fall through.
 
I'm pretty sure people on FB suggested that it could have been a panel in the fence she fell through, but they got shot down and accused of being spineless creatures. I did think they were talking crap, the walking planks on the bridge are pretty damn sturdy.
 
Urgh, enough with the planks. I think we can all agree it wasn't the planks.

The question now is, did the ropey, stringey fence give way?
 
Pieced together from reputable news sources and alleged eyewitness reports...

The general consensus is that it was on the last section of the queue before entering the building, which is a raised walkway rather than a bridge. The fence here is a wooden 'picket' style, so you would expect each bit of wood to be held on with at least two but probably four screws or nails, which makes it seem odd that it'd just give way.

So if the young girl leant on a bit of the fence and it fell off, that would create a gap with a width of about 12 inches, not a huge amount of space to fall through but seemingly enough? In any case, there would still be the 'crossbeams' along the top and bottom of the fence, and the upright bits of wood on either side of the hole, to grab on to, not to mention the parents' hand.

If a fence panel was loose, the ride operator should have found it during the pre-opening checks. So if it was noticed but ignored, Chessington are in trouble. But if it was kicked or otherwise vandalised between opening and the time of the incident, it's unlikely a staff member would have been into the queueline so they wouldn't have known. There are conflicting reports about this, but it does beg the question, if eyewitnesses had already seen a loose or missing panel, why did they not inform a staff member, or if they did, why was nothing done about it.

But speculation will get us nowhere, all we can do is wait for the results of Chessington's investigation and the HSE's report on the incident, if they're made public, which they probably should be given the high profile this case has attracted. Until proven otherwise, I'm leaning towards the belief that this was an unforeseeable accident and no one is to blame.
 
Honestly I think that most of the general public wouldn't be bother to tell a member of staff if there was a damaged fence panel etc in the queue line as they wouldn't think it was their problem or responsibility. Poor girl though however it happened :(
 
^Therein lies the problem though. How many people are "seeing" a damaged panel after the fact? Unless it's been reported prior to any accident, then those claims are worthless.
 
Tomb Blaster was closed today and the area that the raised queue line encircles is closed off.

The second photo shows plastic covering over a fence. The fence at this area is made up of wooden planks spaced no more than a 2 inches apart. If you look at the top of the first image, you'll see the same style fence that's under the plastic cover.

tbclosed1.JPG

tbclosed2.JPG
 
Looks like they are doing something to try and rectify the situation. You can see alot of the queueline in question on my ghosterforce vid 2008 cfkaz on youtube.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top