Father, 35, breaks his back and is ‘left lying in the rain for an hour and a half’ after ‘cart derailed’ at amusement park ride while he was on a trip with his children
- Craig Knight, 35, is now being treated for a fracture in his spine in Cardiff
A father broke his back and was allegedly left lying on the ground for an hour and a half after an incident on an amusement park ride with his children.
Craig Knight, 35, from Newport, south Wales, took his children and their friend to Coney Beach Pleasure Park in Porthcawl on Wednesday.
Mr Knight claimed that during a go on the Waltzer ride, the cart ‘derailed and lifted from the track’ causing him to feel ‘a crunch in his back’.
After the incident he was removed from the ride and claims he was left lying on the floor for around an hour-and-a-half in the pouring rain, before being driven to hospital by his brother.
Mr Knight, a contracts manager, is now being treated for a fracture in his spine at the University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff.
The Coney Beach Pleasure Park insisted that along with all other rides at the park, the Waltzer undergoes a thorough daily check before it is open to the public and was checked again following this incident. ‘Nothing was shown to be wrong with the ride,’ they said.
Craig Knight, a contracts manager, is now being treated for a fracture in his spine at the University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff
Craig claimed the ‘cart derailed and lifted from the track causing him to feel a crunch in his back’
Speaking from his hospital bed, Mr Knight said: ‘I was at the fairground with my family, I was on the Waltzer when the attendant span us fairly fast, where the carts spins and the ramps creating a bumpy ride, the cart had derailed and lifted from the track causing me to feel a crunch in my back.
‘I am currently laying in A&E with a broken back. Apparently management have been made aware of some past issues as I was told by the ride attendant. I just hope to God they have shut the ride down pending investigations and safety checks.’
Mr Knight’s partner, Katie Cusack, added: ‘I had a phone call from my daughter, probably about 1:30pm, crying telling me: ‘Dad’s on the floor and he can’t move’.
‘He went on the Waltzer ride with the kids and said as they were spinning around, the whole seating area just jolted in the air and lifted off the racks and when it landed he said he heard a crunch in his back, his face went white, and my son started screaming for them to stop the ride.
‘It took four people to get him off the ride when they stopped it, and he was laying on the floor for a good hour-and-a-half in the pouring down rain waiting for an ambulance.
‘They were told the ambulance was going to be another two to three hours, and a few of them managed to get him up and get him into a car driven by his brother.
‘He got off to hospital and went for an X-ray, and straight away it came back and found he had a fracture in his spine. They are going to put a brace on him and did a few tests on his legs, but they want to do a proper assessment today on his bottom half.
‘It was absolutely terrifying for him. He knew it was quite serious because of the pain. He was lying there for about an hour-and-a-half, there was no shelter, he was soaking wet.
Coney Beach said they are aware of the incident and say nothing was wrong with the ride
‘He was planning on taking the kids there on the Tuesday and the car wouldn’t start, and ended up going yesterday and this happened. Craig is in a lot of pain and is on a lot of pain relief – morphine – he didn’t get a bed until 2:30am and was stuck in A&E assessment which was carnage.’
In a statement, Coney Beach Pleasure Park said: ‘Coney Beach is aware of the incident. First aid were called immediately and responded. The customer, Mr Knight, was covered with a blanket and made comfortable whilst an ambulance was called. Senior staff stayed with him throughout the situation.
‘Due to the delay in the ambulance arriving, Mr Knight decided he wanted to go home. He insisted on leaving despite advice to the contrary from the ambulance service.
‘Coney Beach regards the health and safety of all its patrons as of paramount importance. Along with all other rides at the park, the Waltzer undergoes a thorough daily check prior to it being open to the public and again following this incident. Nothing was shown to be wrong with the ride. Pending ongoing investigations, Coney Beach has nothing further to add.’
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