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WOMAN STUCK IN WATERSLIDE SUES
A woman is suing Wet ‘n’ Wild in Queensland,
Australia, for $400,000 in damages after she became
stuck in a waterslide.
Cherie Schramm went on the newly opened Aqua
Loop waterslide on January 2 last year but became
stuck halfway.She did not gather enough speed to
complete the full loop and slid back and forth inside
the slide before coming to rest at the bottom of the
loop.
In a damages claim filed in the Southport District
Court on May 22, Ms Schramm said she became
“frightened” and feared another rider would ram into
her, reported the Gold Coast Bulletin.
She said she had not been properly warned about
the potential to become stuck or what to do in such
a situation. She said in a panic she reached up and
found an escape hatch and hauled herself up and
out using her left arm. She claims that as a result of
her panicked exit she suffered a partially torn rotator
cuff in her left shoulder and ongoing mental issues.
Her representatives from McCowans Solicitors claim
Wet ‘n’ Wild owner Village Roadshow Pty Ltd failed
to keep patrons safe.
It was acknowledged that each of the four Aqua Loop
slides had a built-in escape hatch, a fenced concrete
platform and a descending staircase attached to
allow stuck riders to exit safely.
Ms Schramm’s lawyers claim Wet ‘n’ Wild should
have provided instructions or directions to water park
users, either through a recorded message, intercom
session or by written signage at the point of exit, on
how to safely exit the ride.
They claim riders should be pre-warned that in
case of emergency, the Aqua Loop slide would stop
operating and no new riders would be allowed on
until the stuck person had left through the escape
hatch.
Lastly, the lawyers argue riders should be warned to
stand up in the tube to exit through the escape hatch
and not to haul themselves out while lying down in
the tube.
Ms Schramm is claiming $400,000 in damages,
including $250,000 for economic loss over 35 years,
$21,200 in general damages and $84,654.90 for
future paid care.
WEIGHTLIFTER ACCUSED
OF DEMANDING RANSOM
PAYMENT
A MELBOURNE weightlifter has
been accused of threatening to
sabotage the Olympic chances of
the entire Australian weightlifting
team if he was not paid thousands
of dollars.
During the Oceania Weightlifting
Championships in Samoa last month
- which doubled as an Olympic
trial - Daniel Koum is alleged to
have asked for $5000 cash just
40 minutes before his opening lift.
Koum is alleged to have threatened
to not compete if he didn’t receive
the money.
Sources declined to reveal precisely
how the money paid to Koum was
raised, but said it would be repaid out
of the personal bank accounts of a
group of team officials and coaches.
His failure to participate would have
prevented any Australian male
weightlifter competing at the Olympic
Games in London.
Koum denied the allegations. But
Michael Keelan, chief executive
of the Australian Weightlifting
Federation, confirmed the incident.
Mr Keelan would not name the
athlete involved, but other sources
confirmed it was Koum, a 26-year-
old Melbourne-based weightlifter
originally from Cameroon who
became an Australian citizen in
2008.
However, in a dramatic turn of
events, Mr Keelan was later told by
the Australian Olympic Committee
that his services were no longer
required.
An investigation has been launched
into the incident.
‘LAND-SURFER’ DIES
AFTER CAR PARK
CRASH
A man has died after hitting a
concrete post in Portsmouth,
UK while strapped to a
skateboard.
The 26-year-old Lithuanian
was injured while “land-
surfing” in the car park
of the D-Day Museum at
Southsea.
He
was
airlifted
to
Southampton
hospital
before being transferred to
the neurological unit where
he died.
Land-surfing
involves
using a longer than normal
skateboard, which the user
often has their feet strapped
to.
Background image:
Man Land-surfs on a beach.
Image by claud3334.
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