"I heard a man scream. I got closer and saw this bloody woman at the foot of the arena. She didn't move, it was horrible. " Priscilla struggles to contain her emotions when she recounts the terrible scene that occurred at Saint-Paul Park this Saturday early in the afternoon: “My children were in the merry-go-round. My daughter saw the lady fall into a bend. They are extremely shocked. "
This Saturday, a 32-year-old woman died in a riding school accident in this amusement park located about ten kilometers from Beauvais. "One person fell from the Coaster Formula 1 and he could not be resuscitated," confirmed to us on the phone in the middle of the afternoon Gilles Campion, the park manager.
"All the teams join the family to express their deepest sadness following this event," the management announced a few minutes later in a press release. No one else was injured in the accident.
The "fully cut" area
According to the first elements of the investigation, entrusted to the gendarmes of the search section of Amiens (Somme), this woman was with her companion in the roller coaster, which works with individual safety bars. But the exact circumstances remain unknown.
“We are awaiting the results of the autopsy and the expertise of the carousel in question. This will allow us to see if the attraction was up to standard and used in a compliant manner by the operator and by the victim ”, specifies the public prosecutor of Beauvais, Florent Boura. The carousel in question will remain closed until further notice for the purposes of the investigation.
If the park has not been evacuated, the area "has been entirely cut off to visitors", specifies the management, whose teams "have taken care of the visitors and families affected". "There was an announcement asking people who had participated in Formula 1 to go to the reception to make themselves known," said a couple who came to spend the day with their young child, met at the exit.
Second death in 11 years
An accident which risks damaging the reputation of the park reopened since June 6 and which attracts nearly 380,000 visitors per year. Because this is not the first time that this flagship attraction has caused a death. In August 2009, a 35-year-old woman died in the same thrill ride after crossing the safety barrier during a turn.
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“This ride, I only went up there once, that was enough for me. I have always found it abrupt, with violent turns. He didn't inspire confidence in me, ”confides a regular met on the way out. But in this case, the park had been cleared in April 2010. An expert concluded that the accident was due to "the inappropriate behavior of the victim".
On the other hand, Gilles Campion had been condemned in 2007 to four months in prison suspended and several thousand euros of damages for two accidents occurred two years earlier. On August 17, 2005, the 280 m long roller coaster nacelle broke loose in mid-race before violently striking a metal pole. Four people aged 20 to 46 were seriously injured.
“Parc Saint-Paul has dragged its reputation for a dangerous park for a long time. They have been fighting for years to improve their reputation, says a resident of the village. This accident comes at the worst time, just after confinement. "