AusLeisure

A WorkSafe Victorian inspection into a carnival ride that struck a woman at the Melbourne Royal Show on Sunday has been finalised with the rollercoaster deemed safe to ride.

Show organisers released a statement this morning advising “following the tragic accident at the Rebel Coaster ride on Sunday afternoon at the Melbourne Royal Show, WorkSafe has finalised an inspection report advising that the ride is safe and may be re-opened from today, Tuesday 27 September.

“The safety and well-being of our visitors to the Show continues to be our number one priority.

“Strict safety protocols are upheld in line with Victorian WorkSafe regulations. All rides on site have undergone stringent compliance inspections and have passed all the required safety documentation.”

26-year-old Shylah Rodden was critically injured when she was struck by the Rebel Coaster ride (pictured) having walked onto the track to retrieve her mobile phone when she was struck by a moving carriage on Sunday afternoon.

She is understood to have been thrown into the air on impact.

However, conflicting reports suggest she may have fallen from one of the ride’s carts.

Speaking to 7NEWS this morning, Melbourne Royal Show Chief Executive, Brad Jenkins said the incident has “shocked the whole Show community”, adding “first and foremost, our thoughts are with the young woman involved in the tragic accident and her family and friends. It’s totally devastating.

“All I can do is go off the police reports that indicated she had been on the ride and had gone back to retrieve her phone at some stage.

“The police have handed the case over to WorkSafe for further investigation and at this stage we’re waiting that report.”

Jenkins said he believes Rodden was working at the Show with a food vendor on the day of the incident.

On Monday, the 26-year-old’s family advised that she has undergone surgery and remains in a critical condition with a brain injury and broken arms, legs and feet.

On Monday, Jenkins said the incident was a “tragic accident”, going on to say “from our understanding, there was a mobile phone at the base of the Rebel Coaster that she dropped on the ride and she went back to recover the mobile phone.

“Regrettably, she was tragically struck by the cart coming down.

“It is an extreme rollercoaster which is a lot of fun generally, but this was a tragic accident that shouldn’t have happened.”

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