Rhyl: Boy scared after Nessi rollercoaster safety bar failure
- Published
When James got on the ride, he waited for the bar to be lowered
A mother says she watched her terrified seven-year-old son ride a rollercoaster without the safety bar down.
Emma Underhill said she was unable to sleep after watching James ride the Nessi rollercoaster at the Rhyl Family Fun Fair in the Children's Village.
Ms Underhill, 27, said she was horrified when she realised James was not strapped in.
A Rhyl Family Fun Fair spokesperson said an internal investigation was ongoing.
It was not the family's first time at the park, but it was the first time James had been allowed on the rollercoaster by his mother.
Once off the ride, Ms Underhill said her son was "shaking and petrified".
"He said: 'Mummy, I thought I was going to fall out and die'," the mum from Greenfield, Flintshire, said.
"I can't sleep. I'm getting upset talking about it. I can still see his face on that ride now. I had to watch him go around that whole track once, knowing he wasn't strapped in. As a parent who has always kept my children safe, it was terrifying."
The theme park said it was treating the complaint "very seriously", according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) confirmed the matter was passed to their concerns team and North Wales Police said they attended the incident.
Ms Underhill, was at the theme park on 13 May with her partner Daniel Badrock, 28, James and their other son George, two.
She said: "It was Daniel's birthday, so we thought we'd take the children out. James wanted to go on the Nessi rollercoaster on his own. He was very excited, thinking he was brave. Bless him.
"James sat on the rollercoaster waiting to go. We were watching when he screamed: 'I'm not strapped in'.
"My partner and I were literally screaming to the ride operator that James wasn't strapped in, and he replied: 'Yes, he is'," Ms Underhill claimed.
"I watched petrified as the rollercoaster moved. The ride goes around twice, but the operator didn't stop it until after the first lap, and it was then he noticed the safety bar wasn't down on James.
"James had just been holding on to a handrail the whole way around with no safety bar. I ran up and got James off the ride. I was in a panic, and James was screaming the whole time around.
"There are signs on the rollercoaster saying the safety bar will be put down immediately, but there was no safety-bar check. It's not a slow rollercoaster - it has some speed to it."
Ms Underhill said other children on the ride got upset too
"He's lucky there were no physical injuries, but psychologically our anxiety has gone through the roof," she said.
A Rhyl Family Fun Fair spokesperson said: "There was a complaint that was brought to our attention on Saturday, May 13, 2023. Although there were no injuries sustained, we have launched an internal investigation which is currently ongoing."
They also said due to the investigation they could not comment further, but that the park has health and safety measures including safety checks.
It said they were taking the complaint "very seriously".
The family are waiting for a call back from the doctor on how to manage James' stress levels, his mother said.
She also reported the matter to Denbighshire County Council and the HSE.
She said there was "no apology from the ride operator or the owner".
"We are meant to be going to Thomas the Tank Engine Land in a couple of months. James has said he doesn't want to go on a rollercoaster for the rest of his life."
Ms Underhill said the incident had left them "angry and upset".
A police spokesperson said: "We were called shortly after 1pm on Saturday, May 13 to report a dispute in the Children's Village area of Rhyl. Officers attended the area to speak with those involved as well as staff members at the site."
The council said fairground safety concerns were the responsibility of the HSE.
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- Published24 October 2022
