Thirty detectives investigating Dreamworld tragedy, company loses millions

Thirty detectives will be investigating what caused the deaths of four people - including a New Zealander - in an horrific accident at a Gold Coast theme park, amid reports the ride involved had been faulty before.

Detective Inspector Mark Thompson of Queensland Police said there would be an "intricate investigation" after the deaths on the Thunder River Rapids ride at Dreamworld on Tuesday afternoon.

Police are appealing to members of the public who may have photos or videos of the tragedy to come forward, as well as eyewitnesses or anyone who went on the ride yesterday.

Thompson said police have taken "in excess of 40 statements". He was unable to say how long the park would be closed for or how long it would remain a crime scene.

The dead were New Zealander Cindy Low, 42, Luke Dorsett, 35, his partner Roozi Araghi, 38, and Dorsett's sister Kate Goodchild, 32.

Thompson said reports that Goodchild's husband was robbed while he tried to save her life were false.

Low was visiting the Gold Coast theme park with son Kieran, 10, daughter Isla, 6, and husband, Matthew.

The incident has already had severe consequences for Arden Leisure Group, the corporation behind Dreamworld.

Shares in Ardent Leisure dropped almost 20 per cent yesterday, losing the company $200 million in value.

Alison Barrett, of Maurice Blackburn Lawyers, told the Courier Mail there could also be a $3 million penalty and any individual responsible could spend five years in jail.

Australian broadcaster Steve Price said the accident would likely cause doubts over the safety of other Queensland theme parks.

"Anyone travelling to the Gold Coast in the next little while including even up to Christmas holiday time will have to bear that in mind and maybe this park Dreamworld may never open again," he said.

A Christchurch man has told of his close call with the ill-fated Dreamworld ride after his group let the victims go ahead of them.

The 25-year-old told Newshub he and his partner were about to get in the raft involved in the accident, but let the other group go first.

"We saw things we wished we hadn't," he told Newshub.

The man said he was "counting his lucky stars" despite being traumatised by the deaths.

A Kiwi mum who visited Dreamworld for her daughter's 9th birthday said the Thunder River Rapids ride malfunctioned when they visited last week, leaving them trapped for 30 minutes.

Waiheke Island resident Debra Cootes said she believed if the malfunction that caused yesterday's tragedy was because of the same fault, it could have been prevented.

Cootes was stuck on the ride for 20 to 30 minutes with her daughter and partner last Wednesday.

She said the ride stopped just before it was due to go up a conveyor belt near the end of the circuit.

There were three other boats stuck behind the six-person vessel she shared with her family, two other adults and another child.

"It seems like [Dreamworld] didn't really do much about it," Cootes told the Herald, after the deaths. "The ride was obviously faulty a week beforehand."

She said she felt like the tragedy could have been prevented.

Kiwi Hayley King rode Dreamworld's Thunder River Rapids ride just hours before the accident.

She said at the end there was an uphill conveyor belt, of no more than 10 seconds, that took them up and over to the end of the ride.

"We didn't feel unsafe or that anything was irregular and were shocked to find out the deaths were caused on that ride because it did seem so harmless compared to the other attractions."