A teenage boy was crushed to death on a funfair ride called “Body Count” after he climbed up onto the ride before it opened, an inquest was told.
Mackenzie Croxford-Cook, 14, was pinned six feet off the ground after becoming trapped between an arm of the ride and a hydraulic supporting beam.
A court heard that Mackenzie, from Deal, entered the funfair in Pencester Gardens in Dover with his friends.
However, when he climbed onto the ride – which consists of several arms with chairs – it spun around and hit him, pinning him against a supporting beam, County Hall in Maidstone heard on Tuesday.
Emergency services were called to the scene at 7.40am on 3 August 2022, after Mackenzie’s friends raised the alarm.
An ambulance service statement to the coroner’s court said paramedics had found Mackenzie still pinned by the ride.
The report said that his chest had been crushed, and paramedics had been unable to revive him.
A post-mortem examination gave his cause of death as traumatic internal injuries and added that while a urine sample showed previous cannabis use, it was not of a high enough dosage to suggest it was notable to the incident.
The ongoing inquest is set to hear more evidence on the security at the ground and how the teenagers were able to access the ride.
A representative of Dover District Council said that as the fair was not operational – and had been due to open later that day – it was deemed to still be still under construction, meaning security fencing around the perimeter was not required to be fully in place.
Mackenzie, a student at the Goodwin Academy in Deal, was described as a “beautiful, special boy” following his death.
His grandmother Debbie Harris said her “thoughtful, loving” grandson would “always be in our hearts”.
She said: “He was always happy to help others – it was something he took great pride in.”
Mackenzie had lived in Deal since he was six years old, and attended the town’s St Mary’s primary school and later the Goodwin Academy.
Tributes to Mackenzie lined the park where he died, with notes paying homage to his character.
A spokesperson for Forrest Amusements, which runs the fair, said at the time the company was “deeply saddened “ by Mackenzie’s death.
The spokesperson went on: “Our thoughts and sympathy are with the boy’s family at this terrible time.
“As a family-run funfair, this incident has affected us all.
“We would like to thank all the emergency services that attended that day, who did everything they possibly could, and we are very grateful to each and every one of them.”
The inquest continues.
