A visit to a popular attraction on the Gold Coast turned into an agonizing experience for one Melbourne woman, whose foot injury was captured in a now-viral video.
Per News.com.au, Pippa Sutherland - a 22-year-old TikTok user - shared a distressing clip from the Slingshot Surfers Paradise attraction that left viewers cringing and concerned about the ride's safety standards - with some even encouraging her to seek legal action.
In two videos that have now been viewed over 4.3 million times on the social media platform, Sutherland can be seen yelling in pain as her bare left foot gets caught on a metal stopper while the ride descends to its starting position.
As her foot starts to bend unnaturally, she can be heard crying out, "Ow my foot, my foot," as her alarmed friend echoes: "Oh no! Her foot."
The video shows that Sutherland later required treatment at a hospital for her injuries - but revealed that she only suffered "sprained toes". Check out Pippa's video below:
"Surprised my foot is still in one piece after that," she captioned her first video.
"I would be [taking] the ride handler to court. He should have made sure you were safe first," one person commented, while a second added: "100% lawsuit. It doesn’t matter that the staff were lovely, it’s not their design."
A third commented: "That's craaazy. Definitely not your fault. They need to redesign that ride immediately. The fact it's even possible to do that makes it unsafe."
Despite the outcry, Sutherland stated she had no intention to sue, citing the attraction staff's genuine apologies and kindness following the accident.
Sutherland's experience has raised questions about the safety measures in place for such high-adrenaline rides. Commenters on her video were quick to question the absence of shoes and why she was allowed to ride the attraction barefoot.
One person asked: "How about where are your shoes and who let you on without them??!"
"This is a huge safety issue for the ride designer," another TikTok user commented, as another added: "Why weren't your shoes on?"
The ride in question is the Slingshot at Surfers Paradise - an attraction that boasts of providing the "thrill of a lifetime" for riders.
Per the attraction's official website, the ride propels participants at speeds of up to 160km/hour, and states that "riders will experience weightlessness, rapid movements from side to side and rapidly changing forces."
The safety information section explains that the Slingshot is a "two-person capsule that is attached to steel cables and propels riders in the air".
It adds: "Two riders need to have a combined weight of 60kg and be over 125cm. Shoulder harnesses with a between-the-legs safety belt secures each rider over the head and across the chest."
Representatives for the attractions did not immediately respond to News.com.au for comment.
