STAFFORDSHIRE, ENGLAND — An 11-year-old girl died after falling off a river rapids ride at the Drayton Manor theme park in the UK.
On May 9, Evha Jannath was riding Splash Canyon with her teacher and four of her schoolmates when she stood up at one point to switch seats. At the same moment, their boat hit a rock, throwing the girl overboard and into the 5-foot-deep rushing water.
Evha reportedly did not drown, but hit her head when she fell in. Water park staff members quickly pulled her from the water, and quickly transported her to the hospital by an air ambulance. Unfortunately, they were not able to bring Evha back to life.
A friend of hers told reporters the girl was almost prevented from going on the school excursion for not having the right clothes, but borrowed some at the last minute to join her classmates for what was supposed to be a day of fun.
Drayton Manor remains closed following the accident, as a mark of respect to the family. The safety hazards of the Splash Canyon ride are now being called into question, with one woman claiming that four years ago, her then 10-year-old son met with a similar accident, but was rescued in time.
An investigation into the sequence of events that led to the accident is currently underway.
