Pembrokeshire theme park demolishes ride at centre of tragedy
One of the main rides at Pembrokeshire's Oakwood Theme Park – where a girl was killed over 20 years ago – is leaving the attraction for good.
The high-speed water ride Drenched, formerly known as Hydro, has been at the centre of activity this week.
A photo online showed the ride surrounded by three large cranes and sections of it missing, including its 85 degree drop, giving rise to speculation that it is being dismantled.
The cranes in place alongside Drenched this week. (Image: TowersTimes) This has been verified by Oakwood Theme Park.
A spokeperson for the park told the Western Telegraph:
'We can confirm that after 20 plus years of operation, Drenched has been retired from the Oakwood Theme Park offering, and is being dismantled."
"We look forward to sharing other park updates when we commence the build up to the 2025 season'.
Hydro first opened at the park, near Canaston Bridge, in 2002. Two years late, it was at the centre of tragedy when 16-year-old Hayley Williams from Pontypool fell 120 feet from the top of the ride .
The inquest into her death heard that a safety bar designed to restrain passengers on the 50mph ride had not been lowered before it started.
The ride was closed for a year, re-opening with over-the-shoulder restraints on its 24-seater car.
In 2008, its then owners, Oakwood Leisure, were fined £250,000 after admitting that staff had failed to ensure passengers were safely restrained.
The park had been bought by the Spanish international leisure park company Aspro, earlier that year.
The ride was re-branded as Drenched in 2011.
Drenched's riders speed down a near-vertical drop at a speed of around 50mph. (Image: CoasterForce)
The speculation over the future of Drenched began this week when the photo of the ride surrounded by cranes was posted on theme park forum towerstimes.com
A post on the CoasterForce Facebook group posed the question: 'Is Drenched leaving Oakwood Theme Park in South Wales?
"The park's Intamin Mega Splash water ride, which first opened at the park back in 2002, looks as though it could be about to leave the park for good.
"News of the record breaking water ride's rumoured departure from the park broke online this evening (Weds 05th Feb 2025) when an image showing the ride currently being dismantled surfaced on popular theme park enthusiast forum towerstimes.com.
"The photo shared by forum user LPW appears to show Drenched surrounded by 3 large cranes and sections of the ride missing including the iconic 85 degree drop and turn around section at the top of the lift.
"Drenched has been SBNO (standing but not operating) for at least the past two years, with no news as to what the future may hold for the ride being shared by the park themselves officially at any point."
The ride hasn't run for over two years. (Image: The Park Insanity)
One user posted: "Really sad to see, but not overly surprising.
They continued: "As someone who really loves the park and has such nostalgia for it, it's so painful to see the lack of any investment from the parent company."
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