A teenage boy was crushed to death by a funfair ride named ‘Body Count’ after he and his friends climbed onto it the morning before it was due to open.
Mackenzie Croxford-Cook was pinned six feet off the ground after he became trapped between the arm of the ride and a supporting hydraulic beam, an inquest heard.
The 14-year-old’s friends desperately tried to release him but he tragically died at the scene.
Mackenzie, from Deal, Kent, entered the funfair in Pencester Gardens, Dover, before it had opened with a number of friends.
The inquest heard how they played on a number of rides including trampolines and dodgems.
A close friend of the teen then told the inquest how they came to the ‘Body Count’ ride and began to push the seats around.
The arm that contained the seats does not have a locking mechanism for health and safety reasons, and so began to turn after some effort from the teens.
While it was spinning, Mackenzie told his friends he would try and climb to the top.
However, when he tried to do so, he became trapped in the contraption and screamed.
His friends told police how they had tried to push the mechanism in the opposite direction, but had been unable to move it due to the weight of the chairs.
Investigating officer DS Antony Welch said: "The chairs are extremely heavy, so once they are moving they're hard to stop.
"While at the top, he became trapped between the arm and carriage six. His friends tried to move the ride back anticlockwise but couldn't do so, neither could paramedics.
"Tragically, Mackenzie could not be freed and died at the scene before emergency services could arrive."
Emergency services were called to the scene at just past 7.40am on August 3, last year, after his friends rang an ambulance.
When medics arrived, they found Mackenzie still pinned in place by the ride.
An ambulance service statement to the coroner’s court said the teen’s chest had been crushed and paramedics hadn’t been able to revive him.
A post-mortem gave his cause of death as traumatic internal injuries, and added that while a urine sample showed previous cannabis use, it was not of a high enough dosage to suggest it was notable to the incident.
On the issue of security at the venue and how the teenagers were able to access the rides, the inquest heard how Dover District Council (DDC) was unable to block off access to the path through the gardens, which are a public right of way.
As such, and as was said to be commonplace at most fairgrounds across the country, there was no requirement in place to secure the rides or access to the fair outside of operating hours.
Roger Walton, strategic director at DDC, told the court that the council was now considering measures in wake of the tragedy, including the potential introduction of a requirement for security outside of operating hours at funfairs in the district.
No blame was apportioned to Forrest Attractions, who organised the funfair, and no fault nor blame was found with the ride or its operator Paul Shufflebottom.
Speaking to the court, Mr Shufflebottom said that the tragic incident was "amongst anyone in the industry that I have spoken to, the first of its kind".
Assistant coroner James Dylan recorded Mackenzie's death as a misadventure.
He added: "I would like to pass on the condolences from all of us here at the coroner's service to the family and friends of Mackenzie for the tragic loss of this young man."
Mackenzie, a student at the Goodwin Academy in Deal, was described as a "beautiful, special boy" following his death.
His heartbroken nan, Debbie Harris, said her "thoughtful, loving" grandson would "always be in our hearts. He was always happy to help others - it was something he took great pride in," she added.
Tributes to Mackenzie were also left at the park, with notes paying homage to his character.
A spokesperson for Forrest Amusements, which runs the fair, said at the time the company was "deeply saddened " by Mackenzie's death.
"Our thoughts and sympathy are with the boy’s family at this terrible time," they said.
"As a family-run funfair, this incident has affected us all.
"We would like to thank all the emergency services that attended that day, who did everything they possibly could, and we are very grateful to each and every one of them."
