Woman hit by rollercoaster is discharged from hospital
Topics: News
Emma Guinness
Featured Image Credit: Shylah.rodden/Facebook/Mitty Theme Parks/YouTube
Topics: News
A woman who was struck by a moving rollercoaster after she walked onto its track to retrieve her phone has been discharged from hospital.
Shylah Rodden, 26, from Melbourne, Australia, was hit by the 43.4 miles per hour (70km per hour) moving rollercoaster on 25 September 2022, at the Melbourne Royal Show.
Her condition was so serious in the wake of being struck by the Rebel Coaster that she was placed into a medically-induced coma for weeks.
As reported by 7News, at the time of impact, she was thrown into the air by the moving carriage.
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One witness, identified only as Jordan, said that he was filming the ride because his sister and partner were in its front carriage at the time of the incident.
He told 7NEWS.com.au that he was so traumatised by what he went on to witness that he could not sleep for days.
"We saw a lady in an area where she shouldn’t be. A worker told her to get away but we couldn't hear the whole conversation, she just told her not to be there. That person started to walk away and I didn't think much of it," he said.
"It all happened so quickly but so slowly. All of a sudden, I saw someone getting taken up but at the same time I’m thinking 'f***, my sister, my partner'."
Now, Rodden's lawyers, Arnold Thomas & Becker, have revealed that she has finally been discharged from the hospital and moved to another facility to continue her recovery from the major accident.
The law firm revealed today (24 January): "While this indicates her condition has stabilised, the injuries she has sustained remain life-changing.
"At this point, we have no further updates on her condition.
"Investigations into the accident are ongoing."
The incident was dubbed a 'tragic accident' by the CEO of the Melbourne Royal Show, Brad Jenkins.
"It is a tragic accident and, from our understanding, there was a mobile phone at the base of the Rebel Coaster that she dropped on the ride and she went back to recover the mobile phone,” he said.
"Regrettably, she was tragically struck by the cart coming down.
"It is an extreme rollercoaster which is a lot of fun generally, but this was a tragic accident that shouldn't have happened."
He stressed that the ride itself was not to blame for what happened - only human error.
"This is a tragic accident, not a malfunction of a ride, so I can assure people that the rides are entirely safe," he said.
UNILAD has reached out to the Melbourne Royal Show for further comment.