Coin-op amusements news | £1m fine for theme park operator

A £1m fine has been handed to the operator of the Drayton Manor theme park in the UK, which was the scene of a young girl’s death in 2017, but the fine is unlikely to be paid.

The company that operated Drayton Manor Park in England at the time of the accident in 2017 is in administration.

Eleven-year-old Evha Jannath was “propelled” into the water at the Splash Canyon ride when it hit a barrier. It was described by the judge, Mr Justice Spencer at Stafford Crown Court, as “an utterly tragic waste of a young life.”

Drayton Manor Park has since been sold to the Looping Group, an international parks operator.

The court was told of “systematic failures of safety” on the ride in the hearing. There had been four instances of guests falling from the ride into the water in the years leading up to the accident.

The ride was opened at the park in 1993 at a cost of £3m. Splash Canyon was an attraction with 21 six-rider boats on a 455m river rapids ride.