Drayton Manor closed after death of 11-year-old girl

A Staffordshire theme park was closed today following the death of an 11-year-old girl at one of its attractions.

The girl, thought to be from the Leicester area, was visiting Drayton Manor Park, near Tamworth, on a school trip yesterday.

She was named today as Evha Jannath, a pupil of Jameah Girls Academy in Leicester.  She is thought to have fallen into the water on the park’s Splash Canyon ride and then got into difficulty.

Park staff gave first aid to the girl while awaiting paramedics.

She was flown to Birmingham Children’s Hospital by air ambulance but died shortly afterwards.

The park said it was “shocked and devastated” by the death.

It confirmed that the park would remain closed today as a mark of respect.

The closure will also enable the Health and Safety Executive to begin its investigation into the tragedy, the first death at a UK theme park for more than a decade.

George Bryan, a director of Drayton Manor, said staff had responded professionally when alerted the girl had falled into the water.

He said: “Trained park staff were immediately on the scene attending to the patient and West Midlands Air Ambulance arrived and air lifted her to the hospital.

“We are all shocked and devastated and our thoughts are with her family and friends at this tremendously difficult time.”