Drayton Manor theme park death exposed ‘systemic failures of safety’, court told

Drayton Manor theme park's operators oversaw "systemic failures of safety" on a water rapids ride where a schoolgirl drowned, a court has heard. 

Evha Jannath, 11, was thrown from the ride at Drayton Manor in Staffordshire during an end-of-year school trip in 2017.

A two day sentencing  started at Stafford Crown Court today.

Evha Jannath and four friends boarded one of the boats on the Splash Canyon river rapids.

Mid-way through the ride, Evha stood up, reached into the water, and fell in. 

The emergency stop button was not pressed because the operator had not seen Evha fall in and needed to check CCTV - which only covered 50% of the ride.

It was then 18 minutes before staff managed to reach her, but by then it was too late.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) prosecuted the park for not properly ensuring the safety of its guests, with Drayton Manor admitting breaching Section 3 of the Health and Safety at Work Act. 

The park was said to have "inadequate" signage telling guests to stay seated on the ride, "inadequate training" for staff, an element of under-staffing and a lack of emergency planning.

It was also found that on that same day, there were 70 occasions of people standing up in the boats on that same ride.

The court also heard that in separate incidents between 2011 and 2013, four people plunged from boats – or ended up being swept – into what was the deepest part of the ride’s course, known as the trough, which is where Evha ended up drowning.

The park's own barrister called it a "corporate failing," but highlighted the company which operated the site at the time is now in administration, with the park under new ownership.

It's expected to be fined up to £2.5 million when sentencing concludes this Thursday.

Splash Canyon has never reopened since Evha’s death.