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A ute containing crash test dummies arrives at Dreamworld. Picture: Channel 9
CORONER James McDougall says his investigation into the Dreamworld disaster will take months. He said he hopes to hold his inquest next year.
Mr McDougall visited the theme park today for the first time as police used crash-test dummies to re-enact last Tuesday’s tragedy which left four interstate tourists dead after a mishap on the Thunder River Rapids ride.
The Coroner spent about five hours with police investigators at Dreamworld.
“It’s complicated. There’s a huge amount of work for police and engineers to sort out but it’s still going on at the moment,†Mr McDougall said of the investigation.
He said the site visit had given him a good insight.
“The investigation is going extremely well,†he said.
“It’s a very significant investigation — four people lost their lives.
“It will take a long time ... months I’d say.â€
While some inquests can take years to eventuate, Mr McDougall said the Dreamworld inquest would “probably†be next year.
EARLIER:Police use dummies for re-enactment
Police have closed airspace around Dreamworld as they prepare for crash-test dummy tests on the killer Thunder River Rapids ride.
Media choppers have been banned from circling the theme park with the tests about to begin.
Police are believed to have acted to preserve the integrity of their coronial investigation and also possibly to spare families of the victims, witnesses and Dreamworld staff any further trauma.
Coroner James McDougall and a large team of senior detectives have assembled at the Coomera theme park for the tests.
The Thunder River Rapids Ride, where four tourists died a week ago, was drained after the tragedy but has been refilled for the tests.
Crash-test dummies have also been filled with water to simulate weights of those on the ride when the disaster happened.
OVERNIGHT: Police will use crash test dummies to stage re-enactments of the Dreamworld death ride as the investigation enters its second week.
The ride operators on duty at the time of the tragedy have also returned to the scene for the first time, conducting a walk-through and providing statements to police.
No decision has been made on when Dreamworld will reopen but park chief executive Craig Davidson said it would not be this week.
A ute containing crash test dummies arrives at Dreamworld. Picture: Channel 9Source:News Corp Australia
A utility transporting several test dummies yesterday arrived at Dreamworld ahead of what is expected to be several days of forensic simulations in a bid to determine exactly what went wrong on the Thunder River Rapids ride last Tuesday afternoon.
Test dummies are commonly used in forensic investigations where issues such as height and weight are crucial to findings.
Coronial staffers will also visit the scene over the coming days.
The operators on duty at the time, including an 18-year-old girl who was on her first day of operational training on the ride, have made an emotional return to the scene, providing statements to police.
The teen, who is said to be distraught, was an experienced staffer but it was her first day manning the Thunder River Rapids ride.
She was accompanied by one of the park’s most experienced ride operators, who held the highest possible qualification.
Both have accompanied detectives for a walk-through at the scene. They have also been given grief counselling sessions by Dreamworld.
About 200 of the park’s 1000-plus staffers returned to work voluntarily yesterday. Mr Davidson said all staff, including casuals, would continue to be paid while the park was closed, whether they chose to return to work or not.
About 100 workers had been manning the park over the past few days running administration, maintenance and caring for animals.
Addressing the media yesterday, Mr Davidson took aim at reports Dreamworld was operating rides with less than the recommended staffing levels.
Documents provided to the Australian Workers’ Union suggested Dreamworld operated its Cyclone rollercoaster with fewer staff than recommended by manufacturers. He described the claims as “incorrect†and said Dreamworld’s operational practices were approved by Workplace Health and Safety Queensland.