27 November 2023 , 08:20
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A man was rushed to hospital after a horror trip on a ride at a Christmas themed event which was heard to make “really weird noises”, according to witnesses.
The unnamed victim had attended the popular Christmas Wonderland event at Lakeside Shopping Centre on Saturday, November 25. Emergency services were rushed to the scene when the alarm was raised as one of the event’s rides “seemed to go wrong”. A witness to the incident said security stopped people from entering the site afterwards and that the machine had made "really weird noises". The nature of the incident is currently unknown, although a spokesman for Lakeside confirmed the ride has been taken "out of action".
Essex Live reported there were multiple ambulances and police officers at the scene. Essex Police confirmed they attended the scene but it was led by colleagues from the East of England Ambulance Service Trust (EEAST).
EEAST said in a statement: "We attended the scene with two ambulances and two rapid response vehicles. A patient was transported to the Royal London Hospital." The outdoor festive event opened its doors on November 16 and is scheduled to remain there until early January.
A spokesman for Lakeside Shopping Centre's Christmas Wonderland Team said: ""On the evening of Saturday, 25th November 2023, an incident occurred at Christmas Wonderland lakeside involving two guests. Our team provided immediate first aid, and emergency services responded promptly. We would like to extend our sincere thanks to the emergency services for their swift and professional response.
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"The affected ride has been taken out of action and will remain closed while we cooperate with the Health & Safety Executive to conduct a thorough investigation. Our priority is the safety and well-being of our guests, and we will provide an update as more information becomes available. We extend our heartfelt wishes for a speedy recovery to those affected by this incident and are committed to supporting them during this time."
A spokesman for Lakeside added: "We can confirm an incident occurred at Christmas Wonderland over the weekend, which resulted in a member of the public requiring hospital treatment. The attraction is operated by a third party and we are working closely with their team to investigate the incident, as a matter of urgency. The safety and well-being of our guests is our number one priority and in the meantime, part of the Christmas Wonderland site has been closed.
In 2022 a winter wonderland was closed down after it was slammed by visitors, with many parents saying their children were terrified of a fake Santa without hands. The Enchanted event at Balgone Estate in East Lothian promised to offer a festive extravaganza for the whole family.
But many parents said the event was completely underwhelming, with muddy trails lit up with half-broken lights, rides that they claimed were overpriced and too short, and a Santa figure without hands. Parents took to social media to condemn the event and conditions at the site, saying many youngsters were left in tears after being confronted by a handless Santa surrounded by palm trees. A visit to see a real life Santa was an extra £15 per child leaving parents furious, reported