Zip wire death: Operator unable to say why Bailey Sumner fell

Bailey Sumner was killed on Easter Sunday 2011

An operator of a Gwynedd theme park ride where an 11-year-old boy died says he does not believe he made a mistake with safety equipment.

Bailey Sumner from Blackpool died on Easter Sunday 2011 when he fell from a zip wire at Greenwood Forest Park.

An inquest at Dolgellau has been told a harness had been connected to a "false loop" of rope, which then gave way.

But in a statement, operator Sion Richard Hughes insisted he would have spotted the error.

The SwampFlyer ride at the the park, near Caernarfon, had only been open a week when Bailey died, and has since been pulled down.

Mr Hughes, 23, who is now living in Australia, was not present at the hearing while his statement was read out.

In it, he described how he had checked the harness, ropes and zip wire equipment before Bailey was launched from the ride platform down the 145m (475ft) zip wire.

'Loud thump'

"I'm certain he was connected to the right loop," said Mr Hughes.

"I do not believe I clipped the carabiner to the wrong loop [on the harness]. I also believe I would have noticed. It would just look wrong."

Mr Hughes said he "did not know how Bailey fell from the SwampFlyer" adding: "The only thing I can think of is that Bailey opened the carabiner himself."

But a previous witness at the inquest, the ride's designer, Brian Phelps, told the jury he felt it would be difficult for anyone to open the metal carabiner loops while on the ride.

Mr Hughes also accepted in his statement that he had not seen Bailey tamper with the carabiner clip on the rope or harness.

The hearing was told that just before Bailey was launched on the ride, Mr Hughes and the boy had been talking and "having a laugh".

"I watched Bailey until he had passed the cliff (on the ride) and then turned around," said Mr Hughes.

"I then heard a loud thump. I thought he had dropped a phone or something like that.

"I then saw that there was no-one on the lanyard [rope]."

The boy was given emergency first aid by a nurse and doctor who were visiting the theme park, and airlifted to hospital.

But he had suffered severe brain damage and a fractured skull and was declared dead at hospital in Bangor.

The incident was investigated by the Health and Safety Executive and Gwynedd council, but no prosecutions have been brought against the park.

The inquest jury is expected to retire to consider a verdict on Thursday.