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Oakwood Discussion

So presumably the park is open today, which will be the first time since the incident, but doesn’t it seem really odd that there’s been absolutely no mention of anything on their social media channels or indeed any activity there at all by them?

I thought that when it happened they might just take a day or so to prepare a statement but there seems to be no activity at all by them on their Twitter and Facebook pages. That seems quite strange doesn’t it to not even acknowledge the incident on there let alone the lack of confirmation on whether or not the park is open or closed. It doesn’t look like the park is doing themselves any favours in terms of reassuring the public when they’ve gone silent like this after a serious incident.
 
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Shaggy_Dog_ said:
So presumably the park is open today, which will be the first time since the incident, but doesn’t it seem really odd that there’s been absolutely no mention of anything on their social media channels or indeed any activity there at all by them?

I thought that when it happened they might just take a day or so to prepare a statement but there seems to be no activity at all by them on their Twitter and Facebook pages. That seems quite strange doesn’t it to not even acknowledge the incident on there let alone the lack of confirmation on whether or not the park is open or closed. It doesn’t look like the park is doing themselves any favours in terms of reassuring the public when they’ve gone silent like this after a serious incident.
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They're pretty clear that they're open, and have addressed the issue directly, on the front page of their official website.

Treetops Incident – Information for Guests | Oakwood Theme Park

The Best Adventure Park in Wales
www.oakwoodthemepark.co.uk www.oakwoodthemepark.co.uk
 
I am very concerned about the safety of Oakwood's other rides. On my last visit to the park, back in September;

Speed was making horrendous crunching and groaning noises on the lift-hill, as well as literally crashing into the chain as it engaged the car at the bottom of the lift. Its wheels looked very rusty, and the sound it makes going around the layout is concerning. The track looks to be in poor condition with paint flaking off it, exposing rust, and parts of it are slightly out of alignment.

Drenched did one cycle all day, due to it having to be balanced with exactly 14 people in specific seats. On the second attempted cycle, after finally getting 14 people and closing the restraints, it flashed up in red on the console and the staff tried releasing and re-locking twice, looked confused and then closed it.

Bounce, they will not dispatch or even start filling the ride until they have 16 people.

Megafobia seems in urgent need of track work, particularly on the dip that directly follows the first drop. It crashes down, to the point where you can feel the entire carriage 'jump' - that cannot be healthy.

It is very surprising to me that they were allowed to reopen so soon after the Treetops incident, given the condition that their other rides are in.
 
Alsty said:
Presumably all the rides were inspected under the ADIPS scheme before the season started and given the green light to open.
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Yes, most likely - including Treetops.

I remember when the accident at M&D's occurred, it transpired that the wheels had not been replaced or inspected for over a year. The ride had been signed off as okay to run.

There is a precedent for vital things like this slipping through the net.

Source: https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/...ercoaster-inspector-admits-breaching-14240867
 
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I’m sorry but most of the examples you’ve given don’t indicate safety issues at all.

Drenched has always required a minimum number of people due to weight, otherwise it doesn’t have enough momentum to make it around the final corner and engineers have to enter the water with waders and push the boat. This has always been the case and does not indicate safety issues.

The locking and unlocking of restraints is the same on Colussus and lots of older Intamins. If one seat has a guest too large, and it doesn’t register, then all restraints have to be unlocked, relived and rechecked. Pretty standard on older Intamins.

I wasn’t aware that Bounce needed a minimum number, but rides requiring a minimum number to run isn’t at all unheard of, and is something which is required on various rides all over the world. Annoying to have to wait for people, but nothing of a safety concern.

Pretty much all the other issues you mentioned sound like poor maintenance rather than problems with safety.
 
Enter Valhalla said:
I’m sorry but most of the examples you’ve given don’t indicate safety issues at all.

Drenched has always required a minimum number of people due to weight, otherwise it doesn’t have enough momentum to make it around the final corner and engineers have to enter the water with waders and push the boat. This has always been the case and does not indicate safety issues.

The locking and unlocking of restraints is the same on Colussus and lots of older Intamins. If one seat has a guest too large, and it doesn’t register, then all restraints have to be unlocked, relived and rechecked. Pretty standard on older Intamins.

I wasn’t aware that Bounce needed a minimum number, but rides requiring a minimum number to run isn’t at all unheard of, and is something which is required on various rides all over the world. Annoying to have to wait for people, but nothing of a safety concern.

Pretty much all the other issues you mentioned sound like poor maintenance rather than problems with safety.
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Poor maintenance literally causes problems with safety, though.

Here's an example of something occurring as a result of poor maintenance of Drenched. A part of the seat fell off, whilst the ride was open with riders on.


From: https://youtu.be/tFMOAEZHTuk

Drenched and Bounce are curious cases as Drenched used to be 12, and Bounce before its refurb never used to need a minimum number of riders.
 
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The amount of people required to send Drenched differs depending on water levels and weather conditions. This is determined by the engineers each day. This is why engineers are always present at 2pm ride opening each day to confirm to the operators what the weight requirement is.

You are right that it is usually 12 adults minimum (12 adults, not 12 people), but there can often be days where this is different. There’s been some days for example where engineers have said minimum 8, maximum 15. It can vary greatly from day to day.

I’m not saying that’s an ideal way to run the ride, but it’s far from a safety concern.

That YouTube video you shared is nothing more than silly clickbait. That could have been a jumper, a hat, a bag that someone managed to smuggle on (which sadly happens on most rides), there’s nothing to suggest that what fell off was a part of the ride, and to state that this was a piece of the ride without actually knowing what it is, is basically spreading misinformation.
 
Enter Valhalla said:
That YouTube video you shared is nothing more than silly clickbait. That could have been a jumper, a hat, a bag that someone managed to smuggle on (which sadly happens on most rides), there’s nothing to suggest that what fell off was a part of the ride, and to state that this was a piece of the ride without actually knowing what it is, is basically spreading misinformation.
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I just watched it having read your post and it is clearly a piece of the boat, if only something aesthetic. The idea that anything is flying off Drenched is pretty troubling, given its history.
 
When the boat passes the camera you can see the back left seat looks different to the others, as if it is missing a cover.
 
Enter Valhalla said:
That YouTube video you shared is nothing more than silly clickbait. That could have been a jumper, a hat, a bag that someone managed to smuggle on (which sadly happens on most rides), there’s nothing to suggest that what fell off was a part of the ride, and to state that this was a piece of the ride without actually knowing what it is, is basically spreading misinformation.
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I disagree entirely, you can very clearly see in the video that it is a seat cover, also highlighted by part of the seat being missing further through the clip. There is also nobody in the seat it flies off from, so it wouldn't be a loose article. It's just so clear in the footage, I don't see how you can dispute that to be honest.

Background info, last time I rode Drenched before this year (must be around 2019), the back row was closed off and missing its restraints. They were using a laptop and had it plugged into the control system, to get it to dispatch.
 
I know that other Aspro group attractions are in dire need of updating and have little to no budget for any improvements. The group changed the name of a lot of aquariums from 'blue reef' to generic 'Location Aquarium' but have not bothered to even show that update on the HQ website! I know stock imagery for smugglers' adventures is over 18 years old and they have basically no budget to update it. Is oakwood run like this? Tickets are £12 for the aquarium which seems pretty cheap.
 
It is true that the public don’t always have much understanding of safety. Look at the sensationalist articles we’ve seen about rides breaking down. And some media is very clickbaitey. But if enthusiasts who visit a lot of parks are concerned about the safety at an attraction, it’s at least worth considering it.
 
It’s worth considering of course.

But as someone who knows Oakwood pretty well, I don’t accept that requiring a minimum weight to send rides and locking and unlocking restraints when they can’t accommodate larger riders, are indications of safety concerns.

Nor are cosmetic issues such as peeling paint and unsightly rides tracks indications of safety standards. I’m not excusing Aspro for allowing the appearance of Oakwood to get into this state, and of course what happened on Treetops should never have happened and I’m deeply saddened for the families of those riders, but an isolated incident on Treetops does not indicate safety issues with other rides, when Aspro’s safety record with Oakwood has been otherwise exceptional.
 
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Enter Valhalla said:
But as someone who knows Oakwood pretty well, I don’t accept that requiring a minimum weight to send rides and locking and unlocking restraints when they can’t accommodate larger riders, are indications of safety concerns.
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I agree, those are not safety concerns in themselves, the minimum weight limit could be a sign of ride hardware not performing as originally intended (I doubt Bounce or Drenched were designed with those limitations in mind), but that is not necessarily a safety concern. I still felt it an important factor to point out, for consideration.

Enter Valhalla said:
Nor are cosmetic issues such as peeling paint and unsightly rides tracks indications of safety standards. I’m not excusing Aspro for allowing the appearance of Oakwood to get into this state, and of course what happened on Treetops should never have happened and I’m deeply saddened for the families of those riders, but an isolated incident on Treetops does not indicate safety issues with other rides, when Aspro’s safety record with Oakwood has been otherwise exceptional.
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I disagree with some of this. There have been other safety concerns with Oakwood under Aspro.

You have completely glossed over the fact that video clearly and indisputably shows part of a seat flying off of Drenched, whilst the ride is open with riders on.

My concern with Megafobia is how the ride is running, not how it looks. The massive jump at the bottom of the first drop is not normal and not how the ride normally runs. I'm sure it passed its inspection; in the same way that I'm sure El Toro at SFGA passed its inspections; that hasn't stopped carriages derailing on it twice over the last two seasons.

There was a video on YouTube a few years back where a rider had taken a camera on board (which I do not agree with), but it clearly showed his lap bar on Megafobia releasing mid ride. The video has now gone private unfortunately, but I will link if I come across it anywhere again.

Speed does not feel healthy. When it first opened, the lift-hill moved much quicker, and was almost silent. Now, it smashes into the lift chain to engage, crunches its way up, and groans/clunks as it goes over the top. It did not make those sounds when it first opened.

To compare - look at how the lift-hill operates here, it is much faster and quieter.


From: https://youtu.be/zmb0tKd_YB8

Here's a more recent video - here the crash into the lift engage is obvious, and the crunching sound just after.


From: https://youtu.be/pQL2C9wt2DY

This, the most recent video, really shows the groaning noise at the top of the lift - and also, how it looks to be even slower again!


From: https://youtu.be/6ZSRDFr0m9U

It begs the question, why is it being run so much slower than originally? In my opinion, it's very concerning. To add to that, the issues I highlighted above; the wheels look rusted, and sections of the track on and before the lift-hill look slightly out of alignment.

To clarify, I love Oakwood, it's a park I visited a lot as a child and also, I had two amazing days there with my family this year. I'm not going after the park, it's a great place, but I think that you have to look at these things objectively. The Treetops incident has made me reconsider several things that I noticed on my visits.

Sadly the media is very often unhelpful and portrays things as safety issues when they are not; block or lift stoppages being a common one. However, there is something to be said for taking concerns seriously. Remember the guest who reported The Smiler's stalled carriage to the host at the ride entrance, and was ignored? That could have potentially prevented the incident had the staff taken them seriously.
 
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Interestingly, Speed’s lift hill now takes nearly double the time it did originally… the lift hill in the TPR video took 25 seconds, whilst the lift hill in the bottom video took 44 seconds.

I wonder what happened to make it run so slowly?

I must admit that Speed’s lift hill in 2019 was one of the more disconcerting recent coaster rides I’ve had. I’m sure it was perfectly safe, but I must admit the combination of the slow speed and the terrifying creaking/groaning noises it made going up the lift hill did not make for the most reassuring ride…
 
Coaster said:
I disagree with some of this. There have been other safety concerns with Oakwood under Aspro.
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My point was that since Aspro took over the park in 2008, this Treetops accident has been the only major H&S incident reported. Aside from this, they’ve had a clean safety record, as far as I know.

What other reported incidents have there been since 2008?

And by the way I don’t consider YouTube videos of an unknown object falling from a ride, which could very well have been a bag or other guest item, or videos of noisy lift hills, to be evidence against my point that Aspro have had a clean safety record with Oakwood apart from the very unfortunate recent Treetops incident, which of course is very sad to hear about.

If people raise safety concerns, then yes of course the park should investigate and action these. We’ve no evidence that Oakwood don’t take safety concerns/ reports from guests seriously.
 
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