Melbourne rollercoaster accident: Brother of woman critical condition recently died double tragedy

The family of a young woman in critical condition after a horror roller coaster incident was recently struck by another tragic loss – with her brother losing his life about two months earlier.

Shylah Rodden, 26, remains in an intensive care unit after suffering ‘horrific’ injuries when she plunged nine meters onto the The Rebel Coaster during the Royal Melbourne Show on Sunday.

Her father, Alan Rodden, told the Daily Mail Australia on Monday that there is a mystery about how Ms Rodden died on the ride.

“There are a lot of stories going around and I don’t know which one is true or if anyone is covering their tracks,” he said.

A recent Facebook post from Ms. Rodden revealed that her “world came crashing down” when brother Jason died in July.

“Dad sat me down and told me my brother had passed away,” she wrote on July 27. He wasn’t just my big brother, he was my best friend, my everything, the person I looked up to and inspired me to be like,” Ms. Rodden said.

“He taught me so much in life, he showed me the difference between right and wrong and he was never afraid to tell me how he really feels.

“It doesn’t feel real. I keep thinking you’re calling me back.”

Police have claimed Ms Rodden was hit by the ride during the show while trying to get her cell phone off the tracks.

Eyewitnesses to the tragedy said the roller coaster crashed into her and carried her up to nine meters high in the air before plunging to the ground.

Shocked families watched the chaos unfold with paramedics treating Ms Rodden at the scene before taking her to Melbourne hospital in critical condition.

mr. Rodden suggested to Daily Mail Australia that his daughter had suffered life-changing injuries.

‘Of course I can’t talk to my daughter. She will be in a coma for quite some time,” he said.

“The injuries are terrible. Awful. She has brain damage. It’s the pelvis, her arms, legs, back, neck – there’s almost nothing that isn’t broken.

“I just don’t understand how the hell so much damage was done.

“Even the doctors have said they haven’t seen this much in ages.”

Shylah’s sister Caisha Rodden told Daily Mail Australia that her sister had worked on the show.

“Shylah was actually working there. She was helping her boyfriend at her booth that day and she was sent on a break with another employee and they decided to take a few rides to pass the time and unfortunately this happened,” she said.

Caisha lashed out at vicious trolls who used social media to mock her seriously ill sister.

“It’s sad and disgusting to see and cover up the false stories when my sister is fighting for her life,” Caisha said.

Several eyewitnesses have disputed police claims that Ms Rodden had tried to retrieve her phone and said she had been aboard the roller coaster.

“She flew off the ride, loud bang. Followed by a scream and a very loud bang from her hitting the ground,” an eyewitness said on social media.

“I was standing right next to it when it happened. Poor girl lying in a big pool of blood because the medical response was so slow!’

“My daughter was there too and they called Crimestoppers because they felt like she had fallen off the ride too,” wrote another person.

Passengers on the ride were stranded on the roller coaster for hours after the ride was shut down.

A witness, who had been sitting next to the drive, claimed that the police’s claims that the woman had picked up a phone were incorrect.

“I didn’t see her walking or climbing the tracks at all, we saw her flying from the ride, where she landed and how she landed doesn’t match getting hit,” one woman claimed.

“Not from what we’ve seen. We were right next to the ride when it happened.’

Shortly before the accident, the witness had taken her son on the ride.

“We saw her fall off the ride, (heard) the scream and crack of her hitting the ground. My husband was one of the first on the scene. We were right next to it when it happened,” she said.

In a statement from the Victoria Police Department, investigators said the woman “may” have walked onto the track to try to retrieve a fallen phone.

“Unfortunately, the woman was subsequently found injured on the ground,” police said.

One passenger claimed they were forced to take their personal belongings with them on the ride.

“They forced you to take your things with you on the ride! I went on Friday and they let me take my bag and a bottle of coke on it. I was afraid I would drop something,’ the woman explained.

“You had no choice. I sat on it today and had to grab my sunglasses and hold them tight. They should have had lockers,” said another.

A spokesman for The Royal Melbourne Show told Daily Mail Australia it is working with authorities to find out how the tragedy could have happened.

Speaking to ABC Mornings host Virginia Trioli on Monday, Show CEO Brad Jenkins declined to say whether there was a fence around the ride or how high that fence was.

“I can’t say anything specific about that particular ride,” he said. ‘Over there [are] operators at each of the attractions.’

A video published on YouTube in 2021 from aboard the ride at the Sydney Royal Easter Show shows a fence around the ride that appears to be no higher than 1.5 metres.

Mr Jenkins claimed that Ms Rodden had gone to get her phone when she was hit.

“All the messages show that she went to pick up her phone. It’s not a malfunction or anything,” he said.

He wouldn’t say exactly how she found it.

Victoria Police and WorkSafe are investigating the incident.

Anyone who witnessed the incident is asked to contact police.