rollercoaster crash at alton towers

[SoljaBonita]

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-32980354?ns_mchannel=social&ns_campaign=bbc_breaking&ns_source=twitter&ns_linkname=icf

[HelenaDove]

My good thoughts and best wishes to all involved and wishing those who were hurt the very best recovery possible

And yes all sympathy to the first responders and our emergency services who did/do a stellar job.

[CattyCatCat]

It's also great to know that all the amputation at the scene stuff was crap. The emergency workers must have given it everything to get those poor, trapped people out in one piece. The rescue took a long time but thank goodness they did not give up and kept fighting for the victims.

[Redglitter]

Hulababy The 999 operator doesn't contact any other service. Believe it or not it's down to the emergency services to contact each other.

[Happyringo]

404 surely no one knows the cause yet, HSE haven't finished their investigations. If there really are people who know for sure the cause, it's pretty disappointing that they're telling people tbh, there can be no justification for doing so.

[VikingVolva]

The CEO of AT, in the BBC interview when he had time to speak, said that there had been an exceptional set of circumstances (Swiss cheese theory?) and that suggests that at least some the key factors have been known for a few days.

I'd be fairly surprised if all factors were unknown to AT staff, and it says a lot about their calibre that no-one has spoken to the press.

[Happyringo]

i just find it hard to take seriously people talking about their 'sources' and 'contacts'. Maybe it is true, maybe not. Further up this thread someone said they had a source who told them all 4 had their legs amputated at the scene. People just like to pretend they know things sometimes and tell people any old thing which then gets repeated, and as I said up thread, in my experience people who really are in the know don't tend to go round blabbing about it.

[AnyoneForTennis]

Typo there 404 but I meant really? A park contact.... Just a gossipy little troublemaker then. Nobody believes that

[AldiQ7]

Park contact is a family member and part of the first aid team currently on leave. They have had a close working relationship with the first on the scene for over a decade. They are colleagues and friends who are understandably upset and want to talk through the incident with to each other to try and make sense of what has gone on.

Well yes, that's fine. But that doesn't mean that you have to rather salaciously feed back onto this thread does it? 'I have spoken to my park contact' ... 'What I will say is....' 'stomach churning doesn't even come close...'

Ooh how tantalising, please tell us more

[AnyoneForTennis]

Er, don't they have 'patient confidentiality'?

[Happyringo]

Funny 404 how your source said That they didn't think there had been any amputations was wrong...clearly not as well placed as they would like you to believe - I bet the people actually in the know at AT have known for some time that Leah lost her leg at hospital, confirmed today by her father. I just don't believe anyone claiming to have inside info, I think you should take it with a big pinch of salt.

[CattyCatCat]

Horrendous news about poor Leah. No amount of money will come close to compensating her. So sad.

[pettywitchinlondon]

Is the one with the lost leg the one that's always been refered to as the worst one? I'm hoping so. Most of the rumours have been about one having a leg lost, so hopefully this is the worst it will get.

[passmethewineplease]

How horrendous. I did wonder why we didn't hear any news about Leah Washington.

Her life is about to change forever just cannot comprehend it.

I dislike the way you posted about 404 tbh. I can't put my finger on why just something feels off with your you and your "contact"

Either way I hope lessons have been learned, I don't think the smiler should reopen after today's news of poor Leah.

[pettywitchinlondon]

Does anyone else think its suprising Merlin's share price has only dipped a tiny bit. Presumably the have insurance for the victims and they are thinking people won't be put off? Although merlin does not just operate theme parks I know.

[404UsernameNotFound]

Funny 404 how your source said That they didn't think there had been any amputations was wrong

I had my comment removed for fear of outing the person involved, however, my post said:
"There were no amputations AT SCENE"

[Happyringo]

404 "As far as they are aware there have been no limb loss, there wasn't at scene"

this is what you wrote

Tragic news for Leah. I just hope the others are all recovering well. Information that I'm sure will be released accurately in due course via the proper channels.

[HairyMcMary]

Pettywitch: it was the young woman who is a dancer who was in a critical condition, reportedly because of blood loss sustained - she received blood transfusions while still trapped.

Her family are now saying they will not be saying more for the time being.

Thankfully her condition now seems to be being reported as 'stable'.

Fingers crossed fro all, and their families.

And thoughts for the families of all those who lost relatives I the road deaths in the same area on the same day.

[CattyCatCat]

It's really sad as it as the news we were all hoping had been misreported from the outset by the Mail etc. It's very humbling to read that Leah's dad released the news today as he wanted to put people's minds at rest. He also thanked all the wellwishers. It is probably some comfort for them to know that so many members of the public are rooting for Leah. It really could have been any one of us on that ride, it was a horribly unfortunate event.

[AldiQ7]

So awful for Leah. I don't know why, but it seems really sad that she was on a first date with that other boy - I don't know, all the excitement, being young, a first date, young love, all of that, only for that day to end so horrifically.

I think it's a shame that Vicky Balch's family/solicitor/some form of associate has brought up the issue of compensation at this stage - several articles I have now read are now focusing on this when her name is mentioned rather than how she is doing. And knowing what the Internet is like and how judgmental people can be I think people will think they 'just care about the compo' or whatever, which I'm sure is not what her family want at all.

[PHANTOMnamechanger]

tragic update about Leah. Let's just hope thats the worst over now. wishing all those involved the very best possible recovery, and that they and their loved ones get all the support they need to get through this nightmare.

[HairyMcMary]

I don't know why people are so hung up on the inevitable insurance / personal injury claims etc.

It is perfectly obvious that this is the kind of event that will (rightly) result in claims which reflect the impact of the injuries and other effects.

There is a 5th woman who was taken into hospital after arriving home after the accident who has now had surgery for abdominal injuries, many of the victims will have had minor injuries and longer term effects.

This is why businesses have insurance, why there is a claims system and thank goodness for it.

[CattyCatCat]

Just read the article in today's mail and there is mention of a woman who was in the second row who initially returned home by taxi but than had to go to hospital where she had stomach surgery for internal bleeding and is now being treated for a damaged liver and blood clots. So that looks like a fifth poor person with significant injuries.

[PHANTOMnamechanger]

I'm finding all the happy smiling AT customers being photographed/ interviewd today, a bit, well bad taste? disprespectful? It feels like rubber necking. Getting their 15 minutes of fame in the face of other people's tragedy.