Furious mum blasts Drayton Manor for safety warning dismissal as kids seen standing on ride days before 11-year-old died
Vikki Treacy claims she warned bosses years ago after her son was hurled into the water but they dismissed her complaints
A MUM whose son fell off the theme park ride on which schoolgirl Evha Jannath died says she warned bosses the attraction was unsafe.
Vikki Treacy wrote to Drayton Manor after Patrick, ten, plunged into the water on Splash Canyon. She said of Evha’s death: “Had they taken my incident seriously, maybe it wouldn’t have happened.”
Last night a dad also revealed he had film of excited youngsters standing up on the ride just days before Evha’s death with no staff near.
Evha, 11, died from a head injury on Tuesday when she tumbled out of a six-seater boat on the simulated river ride during a school trip. She was either struck by a boat or hit her head on the steel frames that carry the boats around at the park near Drayton Bassett, Staffs.
It is feared she may have stood up to swap seats with a classmate and lost her balance.
Vikki said: “They did nothing when Patrick fell in but he was lucky. If they had reviewed and improved the safety of the ride when I complained perhaps this little girl would still be alive.”
The mum of four, from Rugby, Warwickshire, was at the park when Patrick, then ten, and his cousins asked to go on Splash Canyon.
She said: “Patrick left his seat just slightly and turned to wave to me as I was going to take a picture.
“At that very moment the boat banged into the side of the canyon and he was tipped out head-first.
“I screamed. A lady leapt over to get to him. He was standing but struggling to get to the edge.
“He was unable to get a grip to get out. The lady got him to safety. It was terrifying.
“Had there been another boat close it could have crushed him.
“He was very lucky.”
Vikki, 46, who has three other children — Gabriel, 13, Freddie, 12 and Dominic, 20 — said she raised her safety concerns with a manager.