Grandmother loses leg in Bridlington fairground horror

The 58-year-old woman and the four-year-old girl both suffered serious injuries when they were flipped from the Jungle River log flume on the seafront yesterday.

Medics from the Yorkshire Air Ambulance were forced to amputate the woman’s leg before she was airlifted to hospital.

It is believed the log flume jammed due to a lack of water.

It is the second serious accident at a fairground in less than a week.

Horrified crowds watched as the accident in Bridlington happened at 3.28pm yesterday.

Witnesses described seeing the ride jam on its rails then restart, “flipping” the pair from the carriage.

Rescuers from the Bridlington Coastguard worked to clear enough space in the crowd for the air ambulance helicopter to land.

An investigation into the accident has been launched.

Councillor Cyril Marsburg, Mayor of Bridlington, said: “The lady and her granddaughter were on the log flume water splash.

“It came down there and was no water there. It hit the bottom and they were both thrown out.

“The lady was badly hurt and had her leg amputated before being taken to hospital.

“It was a sunny day and it was very busy on the seafront. People were horrified when they saw what was going on.

“I’m quite surprised there was no safety belts on the ride; had there been, they would not have been thrown out.”

A Humberside Police spokeswoman said the woman and her granddaughter were visiting the resort from South Yorkshire when the accident happened.

The 58-year old was taken by air ambulance to Hull Royal Infirmary.

The four-year-old girl, who suffered lacerations to her leg, was taken to Scarborough hospital.

Mr Marsburg said: “It is very rare for these accidents to happen. This is the first one I can recall.

“Safety measures are carried out but when something like this happens it is terrible.

“I feel very sorry for them and it is very sad to hear the woman has lost her leg.”

A spokesman for Humber Coastguard said: “We got a call from ambulance control who needed some help with getting two casualties evacuated.

“It was very crowded and more people were being attracted to the scene after the incident, which was making it incredibly difficult for the air ambulance to get anywhere near.

“We did crowd control and helped secure the helicopter landing site.”

One worker at a nearby stall told the Daily Mail: “It was horrible, there was blood everywhere. The woman’s leg was really badly damaged.

“The carriage was going down the rails when it got stuck. When they restarted the ride, it flipped them out.

“I saw the older woman stand up then someone made her lie down until the ambulance came.”

The Humberside Police spokesman said the inquiry into the accident would be led by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), with assistance from Humberside Police.

The accident follows an incident last Tuesday when a 12-year-old West Yorkshire schoolboy fell from a ride and was seriously injured.

The youngster came off the Excalibur 2 ride at Camelot Theme Park, in Chorley, Lancashire, before being rushed to hospital.

One man said he was seen hanging from the white-knuckle ride, which spins revellers around on a rotating arm.

The HSE and Lancashire Police have launched a joint probe into the circumstances of the incident.