Investigation launched into girl’s death at Drayton Manor
An investigation has been launched following the death of an 11-year-old girl after falling from Drayton Manor’s Splash Canyon ride yesterday.
The girl has been named as Evha Jannath, a student at the Jameah Academy in Leicester. The theme park has been closed today.
Staffordshire Police issued a statement saying: "Evha sadly died after falling from a water ride at the theme park. She was recovered from the water and received advance life support from ambulance crews before she was flown to Birmingham Children’s Hospital where she later passed away.
"A Health and Safety Executive investigation has now begun with the full support of Staffordshire Police.
"The family are being supported by specially trained officers."
News of the school girl’s death coincides with new figures that show a huge jump in fines for leisure companies over health and safety offences in the past year.
Leisure companies were fined almost £8m in 2016 for health and safety offences in 2016, a considerable increase on the £1m seen in 2015.
Last year’s figure includes the £5m imposed on Merlin Attractions in September 2016 following Smiler rollercoaster accident, which remains the largest ever fine for a single health and safety breach, according to insurance and risk law firm BLM’s Health and Safety Sentencing Tracker.
Bev
Editor in chief Bev Fearis has been a travel journalist for 25 years. She started her career at Travel Weekly, where she became deputy news editor, before joining Business Traveller as deputy editor and launching the magazine’s website. She has also written travel features, news and expert comment for the Guardian, Observer, Times, Telegraph, Boundless and other consumer titles and was named one of the top 50 UK travel journalists by the Press Gazette.
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