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

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

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

Her father, Alan Rodden, told Daily Mail Australia on Monday mystery surrounds how Ms Rodden came to grief on the ride.

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

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

‘Dad sat me down and told me that 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 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’ll call me back.’

Ms Rodden revealed in a recent Facebook post her brother Jason had died and sent her ‘world crashing down’

A woman in her 20’s was rushed to hospital after being injured on a ride at the Royal Melbourne Show. Pictured: The Rebel Coaster at the Royal Melbourne Show

Police have claimed Ms Rodden was struck by the ride at the show while trying to retrieve her mobile phone from the tracks. 

Eyewitnesses to the tragedy said the rollercoaster had crashed into her and carried her up to nine metres high into the air before she plunged to the ground. 

Horrified families watched on as the chaos unfolded with paramedics treating Ms Rodden at the scene before rushing her to Melbourne hospital in a critical condition. 

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

Shylah Rodden and her sister Caisha in happier times. Shylah is fighting for life in hospital

‘Obviously I can’t talk to my daughter. She’s going to be in a coma for quite a while,’ he said. 

‘The injuries are horrific. Horrific. She’s brain damaged. It’s pelvic, her arms, legs, back, neck – there’s hardly a thing that’s not broken. 

‘I just can’t work out how the hell so much damage has been done. 

‘Even the doctors have said they haven’t seen anything as bad as this for a long time.’

Shylah Rodden is fighting for life after a shocking rollercoaster crash in Melbourne 

Shylah Rodden had nearly every bone in her body broken in the shocking accident 

Shylah’s sister Caisha Rodden told Daily Mail Australia her sister had been working at the show. 

‘Shylah was actually there working. She was helping out her friend at her stall for the day and she was sent on her break with another worker and they decided to go on a few rides to kill time and this happened unfortunately,’ she said.

Caisha lashed out at cruel trolls who hit social media to mock her critically ill sister. 

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

Several eyewitnesses have disputed police claims Ms Rodden had been attempting to retrieve her phone, saying she had been onboard the rollercoaster. 

‘She flew from the ride, loud bang. Followed by a scream and very loud crack of her hitting the ground,’ one eye witness stated on social media. 

‘I was standing right next to it when it happened. Poor girl laying in a large pool of blood as medical response was so slow!’

‘My daughter was there too and they have called Crimestoppers as they felt like she had fallen from the ride too,’ another person wrote. 

Passengers on the ride had been left stranded atop the rollercoaster for hours after the ride was shut down. 

Others on the ride were left stranded atop the rollercoaster for some time with the ride immediately shut down

One witness, who had been positioned next to the ride, claimed police assertions the woman had been retrieving a phone were not accurate. 

‘I did not see her walking or climbing on the tracks at all, we saw her flying from the ride, where she landed and how she landed is not consistent with being hit,’ a woman claimed.

‘Not from what we witnessed. We were standing right next to the ride when it happened.’

The witness had taken her young son on the ride shortly before the accident. 

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

In a statement issued by Victoria Police, investigators said the woman ‘may’ have walked onto the track to try and retrieve a dropped phone.

‘Sadly the woman was then found injured on the ground,’ police stated. 

A woman remains in a critical condition after a tragic rollercoaster incident in Melbourne 

One passenger alleged they were forced to carry their personal belongings with them onto the ride. 

‘They made you take your belongings on the ride with you! I went on Friday and they made me take my bag and bottle of coke on it. I was freaking out that I was going to drop something,’ the woman stated. 

‘You didn’t have a choice. I was on it today and had to take my sunglasses and hold on to them very tightly. They should have had lockers,’ another said.    

A spokesperson for The Royal Melbourne Show told Daily Mail Australia it was working with authorities to ascertain how the tragedy happened.

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

‘I can’t comment specifically on that particular ride,’ he said. ‘There [are] operators down at each of the rides.’

A video published on YouTube in 2021 from aboard the ride when it was at the Sydney Royal Easter Show shows a fence around the ride appearing to be no higher than 1.5m.

Mr Jenkins maintained Ms Rodden had gone to recover her phone when she was hit. 

‘From all reports she’s gone to recover her phone. It’s not a malfunction or whatever,’ he said.

He would not say exactly how she got on to the tracks.

Victoria Police and WorkSafe are investigating the incident. 

Anyone who witnessed the incident is urged to contact police.