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Touchline • Issue 15 • 27
A five-year-old boy critically injured in a school fete ride fall
reportedly got on the ride without his parents even knowing.
Patrick O’Sullivan was with his family at his primary school fete
in Highfields, north of Toowoomba, Queensland in May when he
was thrown from the ‘Frisbee’ ride. He was in a coma but is now
awake and in a stable condition.
Workplace health and safety are investigating how he was flung
ten metres from the ride.
In April, five people were taken to hospital after an inflatable
slide was blown over at a car boot sale in North Yorkshire,
England. The incident happened at Ripley Cricket Club, near
Harrogate. Witnesses said they saw the slide being lifted by the
wind and knocking people to the ground.
Nicky Garside, head of public protection for the Harrogate
Borough Council said
“As part of our investigations, we will be speaking to everyone
involved, including the cricket club and the contractor who
provided the equipment.
“We will be thoroughly examining the slide and its fixings to
ascertain how this incident has occurred.”
INFLATED RISK
TREE KILLS RUNNER
Fun run competitor, Joe Kelly, 58, died of head injuries sustained
when hit by a falling branch at St Lucia, a suburb of Brisbane,
on 24 March.
Mr Kelly, 58, an avid triathlete and distance runner, was
competing in the Brisbane Twilight Running Festival when a
storm hit, bringing torrential rain and strong wind gusts. He
survived for five days before succumbing to head injuries.
BLACK BELT SEVERELY INJURED
A Japanese exchange student suffered a life-changing injury
in one of the worst accidents seen at a New Zealand judo
tournament.
Yuichi Tanimura, broke his neck while attacking his opponent at
a tournament in Wellington. Yuichi is a black belt in Judo, having
learnt the sport in Japan. He went to attack his opponent and
dived over his head, heaving the weight of his body on to his
neck.
Yuichi was transferred to Christchurch Hospital, where the
dislocated vertebrae were fused.
It was one of the worst injuries seen in the sport, Judo New
Zealand national business director Graeme Downing said.
“An injury of this nature has never occurred in our 60-plus-year
history in New Zealand.”
The rules of judo were designed to protect the participants and
a lot of emphasis was put on teaching students how to land
safely.
IN NZ JUDO TOURNAMENT
BOY FLUNG 10 METRES
FROM FETE RIDE
Judo can be a dangerous sport