Victim of 'horrific' rollercoaster tragedy identified as mystery deepens
The woman critically injured by a rollercoaster ride in Melbourne on Sunday has been identified by media as 26-year-old Shylah Rodden.
As Ms Rodden fights for her life in hospital, Victoria Police and WorkSafe are attempting to piece together how the accident unfolded.
Initial reports indicated that Ms Rodden had climbed on to tracks of the ride at the Royal Melbourne Show to fetch her phone before being hit by an oncoming carriage.
"It is believed the woman may have entered the track to try and retrieve a dropped phone before she was hit by a rollercoaster carriage and fell to the ground," Victoria Police said in a statement.
But as investigations continue, speculation has emerged as to what really happened with her dad Alan Rodden admitting there are "a lot of stories going around".
Woman in coma with horrific injuries
"The injuries are horrific. Horrific. She's brain damaged. It's pelvic, her arms, legs, back, neck – there's hardly a thing that's not broken. I just can't work out how the hell so much damage has been done," Mr Rodden told Daily Mail Australia.
She now remains in a coma so he's unable to get answers, but Mr Rodden suggested someone could be "covering their tracks".
Ms Rodden remains in a critical condition, Victoria Police confirmed.
Woman seen 'falling' from ride, witnesses claim
According to reports, onlookers heard loud screams before the ride stopped abruptly with many believing Ms Rodden somehow fell from the ride.
"She flew from the ride, loud bang. Followed by a scream and very loud crack of her hitting the ground," one eye witness shared on social media, Daily Mail Australia reported.
Another who was reportedly standing next to the ride when it happened said, "I did not see her walking or climbing on the tracks at all".
"We saw her flying from the ride, where she landed and how she landed is not consistent with being hit," the woman reportedly claimed.
Nine News reporter Maggie Raworth, who was at the scene, also said she'd "fallen from around nine metres high after the ride carried her into the air".
But this theory was shut down from show organisers early on with Melbourne Royal Show CEO Brad Jenkins confirming "she’d gone to recover her phone".
Show organisers deny claims as mystery continues
Mr Jenkins told radio host Virginia Trioli on ABC Mornings that they "don't know" how the woman got on to the track and said it's a "subject for WorkSafe and police" to investigate.
Asked by Ms Trioli if there was a fence surrounding the ride, Mr Jenkins reportedly declined to comment about whether one existed, and if it did, how high it was, according to News.com.au.
Instead, he said that he "can’t comment specifically on that particular ride".
A video posted last year on YouTube appears to show the same ride at the Sydney Royal Easter show, and in it, a fence appears to be just a metre or two high. It is not known if the same fence was used.
Ms Rodden was working at the show, it's been reported.
WorkSafe confirmed to Yahoo News that investigations continue.
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