Six-year-old Megan Carberry's fingers slashed in shock accident at Hippodrome
Megan Carberry, who
caught her fingers on a fan at the Hippodrome
by Ed Targett
etargett@thekmgroup.co.uk
A six-year-old’s fingers were slashed open by a fan at indoor
adventure playground the Hippodrome in a shock accident that left a
trail of blood across the floor.
Fun-loving Megan Carberry was at a friend’s party when her
fingers were caught in the fan that blows up an inflatable
tunnel.
She was left with damaged tendons and nerves that needed
specialist surgery in East Grinstead after the incident.
This week her furious parents said they were disgusted by how
the accident was handled.
Eyewitness and Megan’s godmother Karen
Collins said: “The party was going well and everyone was enjoying
themselves, until just before the end of the party when my
goddaughter ran up screaming with her hand covered in blood.
“Her mum picked her up ran to the kitchen area and started to
apply tissue in an attempt to stop the bleeding.
"A member of staff was asked to call an ambulance.
"One of the parents went into the area where the child came out
of and followed a trail of blood to a fan which had no cover on and
no cover nearby to keep children's hands safe.
“After a few minutes we realised no ambulance had arrived and
the member of staff had simply not rung for one so the mum rushed
the child out the door and another friend rushed them to Margate
Hospital.”
Megan’s father, nurse Tony Carberry, from Broomfield, said:
“There was tendon and nerve damage.
"Her fingers were lacerated. My wife called three times for them
to get an ambulance until finally another member of the party took
them to Margate A&E.
“The Hippodrome just carried on till the next party!”
Hippodrome owner Martin Fossey said: “Of course I am desperately
sorry for the little girl.
"I’ve been in the leisure business for 40 years and run the
Hippodrome for 18 and that’s the first time that has happened.
“I dealt with the incident at the time and as a first aid
instructor, I was taught that with walking wounded you don’t want
to take an ambulance away from a life-threatening incident.
“To get her fingers in the fan she would have had to have been
lying down and then put her fingers through a grill. It’s just one
of those freak accidents and of course the last thing you want is
for a child to get hurt.
“We are having a full investigation and getting health and
safety in.”
18/01/13
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