A theme park popular with Irish tourists has been forced to close temporarily after a man was thrown out of a rollercoaster ride.
The incident occurred on the Treetops ride at Oakwood Theme Park in Wales on Sunday, October 23rd.
BBC News reports that Wales Air Ambulance Service was flown to the scene of the accident before a patient was taken away for treatment.
Very sad to see the air ambulance arriving at Oakwood Theme Park today. Really hoping that everyone involved is OK and makes a fully recovery pic.twitter.com/eu7KER5vKa
— Rhodri Mason (@RhodriMason1) October 23, 2022
According to eye-witness reports, a man was thrown out of the rollercoaster ride when carriages at the rear became "loose" and started to "slip and slide off the track."
One individual present claimed to have heard a young girl in a state of distress screaming "stop" – it is understood this individual shared a carriage with the male who had been ejected from the ride.
Once the ride stopped, facility staff were at hand to aid with people's disembarkment. Passengers also stated that the male who had fallen from the carriage was treated by the staff, an ambulance technician and a nurse before the arrival of the air ambulance service.
The 40-person capacity Treetops Rollercoaster has been operating at the theme park since 1989, boasts a top speed of 22.4 mph and a peak elevation of 26.3 feet.
A spokesperson for Wales' Health & Safety Executive has since confirmed the incident is under investigation.
Meanwhile, Oakwood Theme Park noted: "As a result of an incident at Oakwood today we have closed the park to the public with immediate effect."
The injured male's condition is not currently known.
