Alton Towers rollercoaster victim has leg amputated
A teenager who was seriously injured in an Alton Towers rollercoaster crash has had her leg amputated, NHS bosses say.
Leah Washington, 17, from Barnsley in South Yorkshire, also suffered a fractured hand in the incident, which left four people with serious injuries and 12 others hurt. Her boyfriend Joe Pugh, 18, was also treated for two broken knees and extensive hand injuries.
David Washington, Leah’s father, said medics “saved Leah’s life” following the crash, after which she was said to have been given a blood transfusion and morphine before she passed out.
In a statement, he said: “We would like to thank our family and friends and all the well-wishers for their support.
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“Leah has suffered a life-changing injury and now has many months of rehabilitation ahead of her.”
He continued: “We would like to thank all the emergency services at the scene and all the hospital staff who saved Leah’s life.”
Leah Washington’s father thanks well-wishers, as it’s confirmed she suffered an amputation above left knee and a fractured hand #altontowers
— Darshna Soni (@darshnasoni) June 8, 2015
Alton Towers said it was “deeply saddened” by the news, adding that it will “provide full support to all of those involved now, and throughout their recovery and rehabilitation”.
In addition to Ms Washington and Mr Pugh, two other victims – Daniel Thorpe from Buxton, Berbyshire, and Vicky Balch, 20, from Leyland in Lancashire – are described as having suffered serious injuries.
Thorpe Park and Chessington
The Staffordshire tourist attraction opened its gates to the public on Monday for the first time since Tuesday’s crash, when two carriages on the Smiler ride collided.
The X-Sector of the Staffordshire theme park – which houses the Smiler – will remain closed until further notice to allow the Health and Safety Executive access to the ride for investigations.
In addition, the Spinball ride at Alton Towers has been closed until enhanced safety protocols are implemented. Merlin Entertainments said that this would take slightly longer than it had hoped due to the design of the ride.
Some rides remain closed while the investigation continues. pic.twitter.com/ChZ3JvnV8E
— Matthew Moore (@mattmoorek) June 8, 2015
Two rides at other Merlin Entertainments parks, Thorpe Park and Chessington World of Adventures – both in Surrey – will also remain closed until new safety protocols can be implemented. But these are expected to reopen soon.
Merlin is thought to have racked up losses of around £500,000 a day since the incident.
Investigation
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has removed the carriages involved in the crash and taken them to the Health and Safety Laboratory in Buxton for further analysis.
It confirmed evidence-gathering by inspectors had finished at the theme park in Staffordshire, and that a prohibition notice had been served on the rollercoaster, stopping its use until action is taken to deal with the cause of the failure.
Neil Craig, head of operations for HSE in the Midlands, said: “The notice is specific to the Smiler ride and does not affect other rides at the park. HSE expects the park operator to apply any early learning from the incident to wider risk management at the site.”
