13. International Hard or Feature News

Drowning at United Kingdom Theme Park

Splash Canyon

On May 9, 2017, 11-year-old Evha Jannath from Leicester, England went on a school trip to a theme park called Drayton Manor Theme Park with her classmates. She got on a ride called Splash Canyon with some of her friends. Splash Canyon is a type of river rapids ride. The float that Evha was riding in hit a barrier during her ride and she felloff the boat. This was detrimental because Evha could not swim, and ended up drowning. She made it to the hospital that day and was pronounced dead once there.

Evha Jannath

Ever since Evha's drowning, the ride has been rightfully shut down. The question that is now at stake is whether or not it was on accident or on purpose, and a jury has been debating this loaded question for quite some time. Sources say that "the inquest was told she had been standing up and 'reaching into the water', breaching park's rules, before she was 'propelled' from the boat."

Splash Canyon Ride

There was video surveillance from the theme park that showed Evha wading back and forth towards some of her friends. She then was seen climbing "an algae-covered travelator" before eventually falling into a very deep part of the water. About 11 minutes later, her lifeless body was brought out of the water by some of the theme park staff. All of this footage was played before the jury.

It was made clear to the jury that the emergency button for the ride had not been pressed for about ten minutes even after that theme park staff was aware that Evha was in the water.

Evha had reportedly been on the ride one time before the time she fell into the water and drowned, but the first time she rode it, teachers rode it with her.

Although there were no signs that instructed people to stay seated and not stand, there were several, 11 to be exact, signs that warned about the ride being bumpy.

In the end, the jury found the death of Evha an accident and expressed their deep condolences for her and her family.

Source:

BBC News