Critical: Between Life and Death reveals extent of Lambeth fairground crash

Daily Mirror

5 days ago

Critical: Between Life and Death follows the trauma teams at various London hospitals as they tend to injured patients - including those involved in the Lambeth Country Fair crash
Netflix' s latest docuseries Critical: Between Life and Death arrives on the streamer tonight, taking viewers behind the scenes at Royal London Hospital as NHS trauma teams attempt to save patients with life-threatening injuries.
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The hard-working unit is thrown into a dire situation from the first few minutes, with several patients fighting for their lives after being injured at a fairground in Brockwell Park. Four people were left with serious injuries in June last year when a fairground ride at the Lambeth Country Show malfunctioned.
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"I saw heads and bodies crash into the railings, like crash test dummies," Claire Collins - who witnessed her sister Alison and Alison's boyfriend Nick sustain injuries from the incident - tells the Netflix documentary.
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"I immediately jumped up onto the ride, and my sister and Nick were still in their seats. The whole of the side of Nick's face was basically open. Just this big hole. It looked so, so serious. I was really concerned he wasn't going to make it."
With Critical: Between Life and Death looking into the aftermath of the horrific incident, here's everything you need to know about what happened at the Lambeth Country Show.
What happened at the Lambeth Country Show fairground?
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The Lambeth Country Show hit the headlines last year, when a fairground ride failed and people were thrown through the air. Four people were rushed to hospital as a result of the incident, with emergency services being alerted at 6:20pm on Saturday 8 June 2024.
One eyewitness told the MailOnline at the time: "People were running towards us and crying and screaming ... Saw a lady with blood streaming down her face. She had paramedics carrying her off the ride." While another said: "I am told a ride collapsed and all hell broke loose. It was horrific. The screams were terrible. Four people flew off and went through the air. It was like a horror movie."
A spokesperson for Lambeth Council said at the time that a "thorough" investigation was being carried out into the cause of the malfunction. "The situation is being closely monitored. The area around the ride is secure and the funfair has been closed ... Additional safety inspections are being carried out on all rides and attractions at the show," a spokesperson said.
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Those who attended the fair soon took to social media to warn others, with one writing on X: "They need to shut the whole thing down. Do not take your kids, do not go on any of the rides. I am scarred for life. I really hope they are OK. My wife was physically sick. Saw the air ambulance coming over about 15 minutes after it happened."
The Metropolitan Police later said in a statement: "Emergency services responded at around 6.20pm on Saturday to a fairground ride having failed at the Lambeth Country Show in Brockwell Park. Four people have been taken to hospital. We await an assessment of their conditions. Nobody is trapped on the ride.
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"Enquiries are under way to establish the circumstances. Cordons are in place at the location. The Health & Safety Executive will be informed."
Among those injured was Alison Collins, who was left fighting for her life in the hospital after suffering horrific injuries. Meanwhile, her boyfriend Nick was also admitted to the hospital after suffering injuries to his face and head.
Silvana, 11, was also admitted to the hospital with injuries to her legs, pelvis and lower back, while her grandfather, Sebastiano, sustained a broken nose. During the incident, Sebastiano threw himself between Silvana and a flying speaker, which smashed into his face. 'I was given a bag with my dad's things, like his ring,' Sebastiano's daughter Marcia told The Mirror. "It was covered in blood."
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Just weeks after the incident, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) launched an investigation into the ride failure. They said that the ride was being "forensically examined by specialists". HSE inspector Stacey Gamwell said in July last year: "We will continue to thoroughly investigate what happened and determine whether there were any breaches of health and safety law at the time of this incident.
"Once we have finished our investigation, a decision will then be made on whether formal enforcement is required in line with our enforcement policy. We remain in contact with those affected by the ride's malfunction and will keep them updated throughout our investigation."
What happened to the victims?
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While Critical: Between Life and Death viewers will see that Alison's skull fracture and chest injuries were a cause of concern, both she and her boyfriend Nick made a full recovery.
Speaking in the documentary, Alison said: "Everybody tells me that when I started to come around, I was sort of talking a load of rubbish and generally, I'm sort of quite good with memory and words.
"Initially, I was told that I would probably be in hospital for five or six weeks. I was stuck in a bed, and didn't even know if I could walk. When can I get out of here? In reality, I managed to get better a lot quicker. So I came out of hospital, I think, after two and a half weeks."
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Nick's recovery took slightly longer. "It's the last thing you think is going to happen when you go to a country fair, that you'll be in hospital for a few months. It brings it home to you, how lucky we are to have the NHS and critical care when something goes wrong. The skill involved in the surgeon who repaired my face - which to me is absolutely astounding."
Alison added: "It's been challenging but we cheated death so we look forward." Sebastiano suffered multiple fractures to his nose but was discharged from hospital, while Silvana's injuries were also not life-threatening. "Well, end of the day, I feel lucky," he told the documentary. "Very lucky."
Sebastiano's daughter Marcia said that her family worked with the fun fair and it has now left their business in limbo. 'In a way, we're out of work but we go to different locations.' And her family have made a huge decision: 'My brother said, 'I'm never taking the kids to a fun fair ride again.'