September 26, 2022 | By Bronwen Largier
A second serious incident has taken place at a major agricultural show this year, with a woman in a critical condition after sustaining injuries at the site of a rollercoaster at the Melbourne Royal Show yesterday.
According to a statement issued by the show this morning, early indications suggest the woman was not on the ride but injured while trying to retrieve a mobile phone.
“WorkSafe Victoria and Victoria Police are currently investigating the accident further, however it appears at this early stage the woman, aged in her 20s, may have walked on and entered the track to try to retrieve a dropped phone before she was struck at ground level by a roller coaster carriage, at about 5.45pm,” said the statement.
The ride in question, the Rebel Coaster, will remain closed for the foreseeable future.
The 2022 event is the first Melbourne Royal Show to take place since 2019, with the 2020 and 2021 events cancelled due to the pandemic. The show had sold out attendance yesterday, with the event continuing until October 2.
The incident follows the stabbing death of a teenager at the Sydney Royal Easter Show in April this year.
Meanwhile the Perth Royal Show kicked off on Saturday, with organisers offering free RAT tests to attendees.