Dreamworld staff 'didn't stop ride' during previous accident

A man's friend pulled him, injured and unconscious, from the waters of a log ride at Dreamworld in April after staff did not stop the ride or help immediately, the victim's lawyer says.

Samson Sherrin's lawyer Sugath Wijedoru spoke to Morning Report after New Zealander Cindy Low, 42, was killed along with Kate Goodchild, her brother Luke Dorsett and his partner Roozbeh Araghi when the Thunder River Rapids ride malfunctioned on Tuesday.

Ms Low, originally from Kawerau, was a long-term resident of Australia.

Her family said yesterday they were devastated and traumatised by her death and asked for privacy.

Mr Wijedoru said Mr Sherrin, a 19-year-old man from Brisbane, was seriously injured after he fell from the Dreamworld log ride and two boats drove over him.

"He had fallen off the ride at Dreamworld - it's one of the log rides, which is a water-based ride - he's been knocked unconscious on the rail which is covered in water. And no one actually realised what had happened until the people who were in the front of his log turned around and realised he wasn't on the log.

"He notified the Dreamworld staff that were present. There was no response - they didn't stop the ride or come to his assistance straight away and it was actually left to his friend to actually run up and lift Samson out of the water.

"Some logs had actually gone over the top of him, the logs that were actually behind the log that they were on, resulting in a fractured hip, fractured ankle and gouges down to the groin area and his clothes had actually been shredded.

"If it wasn't for my friend I would have died, there is no doubt about it at all. He did save my life," Mr Sherrin told the ABC.

Mr Wijedoru said Tuesday's accident was obviously far more serious, and Mr Sherrin was extremely saddened and distressed by it.

"Obviously he went through a traumatic time as well but everyone has to acknowledge that it pales in comparison to what's happened here.

"It's been an awful tragedy with the deaths involved, and what people had to witness, and the loss to the relevant families as well."

Despite Dreamworld chief executive Craig Davidson's claim there had not been another accident like Tuesday's in the park's 34 years of operation, Mr Wijedoru said there had been similar accidents in the past, although they may have been less severe.

"There may have been minor incidents and incidents where tragedy has been avoided, but I would dispute whether nothing has ever happened, or that there have never been any incidents at all."

Mr Davidson laid a wreath for the four victims yesterday.

"Our immediate focus is on the families, friends and loved ones of those who tragically lost their lives," he said.

"In paying our respects today I also want to specifically acknowledge the impact of the event on the two children who were involved in this tragedy. These children will have our full support into the future.

Investigations into the accident on Tuesday are continuing, and the police called for photos and videos and for everyone on the ride that day to come forward.

Assistant Commissioner Brian Codd said every aspect of the ride was being tested.

"We will be getting those answers so that we can provide everybody a clear insight as to what's occurred to prevent this tragedy ever happening again.

Brisbane Lawyer Alison Barrett said if Dreamworld was prosecuted, the company could face a $3 million fine and the directors could be held personally liable with up to five years in jail "and other hefty penalties".

"Cases like this generally aren't just freak accidents, it's generally a series of events or something has actually gone wrong to result in such a significant catastrophic event," she said.

Deadly ride passed safety test last month

Meanwhile Dreamworld said the Thunder River Rapids ride successfully passed a safety inspection less than a month ago.

In a statement, it said the ride underwent its annual mechanical and structural safety engineering inspection on 29 September.

"The safety audit was conducted by a specialist external engineering firm," the statement said.

"Details of this external audit will be provided to the coroner and workplace safety investigators."

Dreamworld said its safety procedures had been endorsed by David Randall, managing director of DRA Safety Specialists.

The statement quoted Mr Randall as saying he had conducted safety audits for Ardent Leisure, Dreamworld's owner, for the past six years and that they indicated the theme park's "safety management" had improved.

"Dreamworld under the leadership of Craig Davidson, the CEO, has demonstrated a commitment to developing and maintaining a strong safety culture across all departments," he said.

"Annual audits have resulted in continuous improvement in the management of safety.

"A number of consultancy visits to assist in the implementation have been undertaken and include regular training programs with the senior leadership team which have kept them abreast of legislative requirements and changes."

However, an engineer with Standard Australia's Amusement Ride Committee said maintenance issues were likely to be responsible for the accident.

David Eager said the accident was caused by either an inherent design fault that had remained dormant until now or a maintenance issue.

"But my money would be on maintenance," he said.

"The ride costs millions of dollars, but if you maintain them you should get at least 30 years' life out [of them]."

Dreamworld to hold tribute day

Dreamworld said the park would reopen at 11am on Friday and entry proceeds from the day would go to the Australian Red Cross.

However, activities will be limited to smaller rides, animal attractions and the water park.

The park said a private ceremony would be held for Dreamworld staff, friends and emergency services who worked side by side through the ordeal.

- RNZ / ABC