Olympic 1,500m champion exits theme park ride moments before fatal accident

https://www.instagram.com/p/BL2grGHhjKZ/?taken-by=mgcentro

Four people, two men and two women, all adults, have died at Australia’s largest theme park after a ride malfunctioned in Queensland on Tuesday.

Matt Centrowitz, the 2016 Olympic 1,500m champion, is believed to have exited the ride just before the accident. The accident occurred on the Thunder River Rapids Ride at Dreamland, located on Australia’s Gold Coast. Thunder River Rapids is known as a family ride.

https://twitter.com/Dreamworld_AU/status/790816954315640833

“One of the rides had sustained some sort of malfunction, causing two people to be ejected from a ride, another two people were caught inside the ride,” said Gavin Fuller, acting senior operations supervisor for Queensland Ambulance Service, according to CNN.

4 people were killed in an accident at Dreamworld, an Australian theme park, officials said https://t.co/JkI1iJZCHq pic.twitter.com/bPJ1UZWpWH

— The New York Times (@nytimes) October 25, 2016

“Dude!” Centrowitz, originally from Baltimore, tweeted. “Just got off a ride 15 minutes ago that has one person seriously injured and two others trapped.” The 27-year-old posted to social media moments after the incident took place and before police confirmed the amount of people involved. Centrowitz is in Australia as track and field is over for 2016. He trains with Canadian Cam Levins in Oregon.

The multiple-time world champion went on to say that his “thoughts and prayers go out to people and families involved.”

Centrowitz’s tweet

Dude! Just got off a ride 15 mins ago that has 1 person seriously injured & 2 others trapped ?? #Dreamworld

— Matthew Centrowitz (@MattCentrowitz) October 25, 2016

Police are still investigating and are reaching out to victims’ families. Dreamworld is currently closed, as per the park’s official Twitter account.