A TEENAGE boy died after being crushed by the mechanical arm of a Body Count ride at a fairground.
Emergency crews were called to a funfair in Pencester Gardens in Dover, Kent, at around 7.45am on August 3, 2022, an inquest heard.
Police attended the park, along with an ambulance crew and fire and rescue services.
But despite the best efforts of paramedics, the 14-year-old boy was pronounced dead at the scene.
An inquest at County Hall in Maidstone, Kent heard today that the victim, Mackenzie Croxford-Cook, had been playing on the closed fairground ride with friends when it spun, crushing him to death.
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A statement from South East Coast Ambulance Service (SECAmb) was read to the inquest by Assistant Coroner James Dillon.
SECAmb were called at 7.41am and arrived on the scene by 8.09am.
The statement said: “The patient was with friends playing with a closed fairground ride.
“When they were climbing it, it spun in a way that trapped the patient, which resulted in his chest being crushed by the ride.
“On arrival we were met by a group of young teenage girls who directed us to a ride where their friend was said to be trapped between the ride and the arm of the ride.
“He was on his back and crushed from the chest down.”
The inquest heard how Mackenzie, who lived with his grandmother in Deal, Kent, was mechanically trapped and suspended 6ft in the air.
A statement from Steven Partington, Watch Manager at Kent Fire and Rescue Service (KFRS), was also read at the inquest by Mr Dillon.
Mr Partington said KFRS was called to reports of a male trapped with the mechanics of a fairground ride at 7:44am.
He said the fairground ride, known as ‘Body Count’, consisted of a single boom arm which revolved around an axel with a hydraulic arm. The arms were attached to a gondola.
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The fire service attended the scene at 8:03am where they discovered Mackenzie trapped between the gondola arm and a boom arm.
Mr Dillon said a post-mortem examination found that Mackenzie had suffered a traumatic rupture of the liver and spleen.
A toxicology report also found traces of THC acid - a component of cannabis - in Mackenzie’s urine.
The inquest heard a statement from Sarah Materson at Dover District Council (DDC).
Ms Dyer said the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) was informed and attended the scene following the tragic incident.
An assessment was carried out by Health and Safety Executive Kevin Golding.
The inquest heard that Mr Golding considered whether the lack of fencing around the site contributed to the incident.
However neither DDC or the HSE require fairgrounds to have secure fencing, unless there is a road or body of water nearby.
Mr Golding concluded that there was no need for HSE to carry out an investigation.
The inquest continues.
