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Touchline issue 24 | September 2016 | 31
Damian Jobson faces the prospect of being confined to a
wheelchair after he suffered the horrendous injury playing for
the Windale Eagles against the University of Newcastle in the
Hunter Region in NSW.
Jobson’s wife Brooke told the Newcastle Herald he had
undergone surgery, but signs pointed to him becoming a
quadriplegic.
SERIES OF ACCIDENTS AT US
AMUSEMENT PARKS RAISE CONCERN
The fourth amusement park accident in the USA in five days
occurred this August when a three-year-old boy fell out of a
roller coaster in Pennsylvania.
He was airlifted to Children’s Hospital in Pittsburgh about 50
miles away and a hospital spokeswoman said the parents have
asked that no information be released about the child or his
condition.
In the other recent accidents on amusement park or fair rides
across the country, one child has been killed, another suffered
a brain injury and at least two others were hospitalised.
The accident was said to have happened on the Rollo Coaster,
an old-style wooden ride. The roller coaster, which was built in
1938, does not include seat belts and has a height requirement
of 36 inches; riders under 48 inches must be accompanied by
an adult, according to the park’s website.
According to reports, the boy, who was riding with his brother,
was alert and talking after the fall.
The coaster was inspected August 6 and passed, according to
the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, which oversees
the state’s 10,200 amusement rides. The department is now
investigating the accident, and it will re-examine the inspection
history, said Logan D. Hall, spokesman for the department.
The Pennsylvania accident comes after several others across
the USA.
A 10-year-old boy died on a water slide at the Schlitterbahn
Water Park in Kansas City, Kansas and two riders were injured
when a launch cable detached at Cedar Point in Sandusky,
Ohio, on the same day.
Three children fell from a Ferris wheel at a Tennessee county
fair critically injuring two of them.
There are an average 4,423 injuries in amusement parks each
year and 20 injuries daily from May to September, the parks’
busiest time, according to data from a study by the Nationwide
Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio.
ARGENTINE FOOTBALLER DIES IN
TRAGIC CIRCUMSTANCES AFTER
ON-PITCH INCIDENT
Michael Favre, a 24-year-old footballer from Argentina, has
died after two blows to the head during a match.
The terrible scenes unfolded as Favre turned out for Club San
Jorge de Villa Elisa against Defensores de Colon in a provincial
match in Entre Rios.
Favre fell to the turf while chasing a ball alongside opponent
GeronimoQuintana, and as Favre trippedQuintana accidentally
caught him in the head with his knee.
The player got to his feet and reacted angrily, at which point
a Defensores player ran in and appeared to hit Favre with his
arm, sending him to the ground once again.
Favre, a father of two, again regained his feet but this time
was clearly struggling. He was taken to hospital where he was
pronounced dead on arrival.
The Argentine FA released a statement expressing “deep
sorrow” for the player’s death and expressing support for his
bereaved family.
LUI POLIMENI, 15, DIES AFTER
COLLAPSING IN RUGBY GAME
A 15 year old teenager died after his parents turned off his life
after he collapsed on the field during a rugby league match in
southern NSW.
Murrumburrah High School student Lui Polimeni was
concussed during a tackle and collapsed on the field while
playing for the Gundagai Tigers against the Tumut Blues in an
under-16s match in Gundagai.
The club posted on its Facebook page that Lui Polimeni “fought
a great battle but was not able to recover”.
“It’s with most regret that this news is delivered,” the post
began.
“His family has asked the following be stated:
“Lui loved his footy.
“Lui loved the Tigers.
“Lui loved his mates and his team mates.
“Lui gave his best every time he played.
“Our condolences go out to Lui’s family, friends and Tigers.”
This comes on the back of another tragic accident in club
rugby league involving an amateur player who broke his neck
in several places following a tackle gone wrong on the same
weekend.