Alton Towers took 11 minutes to contact the emergency services after Tuesday’s crash on The Smiler rollercoaster, it has emerged.
Management were informed of the accident at 13:57, with ambulance crews saying they received a call at 14:08.
Arriving at 14:35, the West Midlands Ambulance Service said that they called the fire service at 14:41 when it became clear that the injured could not easily be accessed.
Alton Towers is said to have made its own call to the fire brigade at 14:45, having not initially contacted them.
The park will remain closed for a third day on Friday, as investigators continue to work on the Gerstlauer-manufactured Smiler rollercoaster, which opened in May 2013.
Serious injuries
One seriously injured guest has suffered a collapsed lung and fractured leg, according to reports.
Three others sustained “serious lower limb injuries”, the ambulance service said.
Serious injuries – those typically requiring immediate hospitalisation – are reportable to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) under law.
Most theme parks employ a network of first responders, medics which are capable of administering care at the park without the need for the emergency services.
Alton Towers said today: “Our community first responders, based on site, are trained by West Midlands Ambulance Service and form part of our security and medical teams.
“Once the incident occurred, a member of the ride staff would have called our first responders who arrived at the scene within minutes.
“After instant assessment they call our security department who then call 999 straight away.”
Fractures to body parts other than the extremities are reportable to the HSE, who typically begin immediate investigations after serious injury, as they did following the Smiler crash.