This week, both the management of Plopsaland De Panne and an individual employee had to appear in court. The reason was an accident involving the Mega Mindy Jetski attraction in April last year, where a 54-year-old woman was seriously injured. The staff member made a critical error.
An operational error leads to an accident
Not only was Plopsaland brought to court, but also the 49-year-old employee who operated the water attraction at the time of the incident. The Mega Mindy Jetski attraction consists of a carousel with outward-swinging gondolas gliding over the water. The victim ended up in the water with her grandson.
The employee admitted that he forgot to perform a visual inspection round. As a result, he did not see that the woman had not yet boarded the gondola. When the carousel started to spin, the boy fell into the cold water, and his grandmother jumped after him.
Severe Injuries and Medical Costs
In the water, the woman was struck by one of the attraction’s arms, severely injuring her arm. The medical costs are being covered by Plopsa’s insurance. Despite the grave error, the employee continues to work at the attraction and has shown remorse. Therefore, the prosecutor did not seek punishment for the employee. Instead, they demanded a fine of 4000 euros for Plopsaland because not all gondolas are visible from the control booth.
Safety Measures and Court Decision
A lawyer for Plopsaland argued that the attraction was technically flawless. Additionally, they introduced a new safety measure: an extra control button that must be pressed after a visual inspection. The judge’s decision is expected at the end of June.
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