Melbourne Show Roller Coaster victim Shylah Rodden wakes up from coma

A woman who was struck by a rollercoaster has finally woken up after being in a coma for more than two months. 

Shylah Rodden, 26, suffered brain damage and serious injuries to her pelvis, arms, legs and back when she was hit by the Rebel Coaster carriage rollercoaster at the Royal Melbourne Show on September 25.

She was collected by the ride, which was travelling 70km/h, while trying to retrieve her phone from underneath the tracks. 

Ms Rodden was immediately rushed to the Royal Melbourne Hospital and placed in a medically-induced coma.

But on Wednesday, the hospital revealed that the young woman was now in a stable condition. 

It’s understood the young woman was hit by the Rebel Coaster carriage, which was travelling 70km/h, while trying to retrieve her phone from underneath the tracks

A person close to Ms Rodden’s family said to News.com.au that she was ‘still not out of the woods’. 

Ms Rodden had been showing some signs of improvement, with her condition being downgraded from critical to serious last month. 

On the day she was struck, Ms Rodden had been working at a friend’s stall at the show when the pair decided to go on a few rides during their break. 

She is believed to have dropped her phone while on the rollercoaster.

Investigators believe she walked under the tracks of the high-speed ride to retrieve the device. 

WorkSafe is investigating the circumstances behind the tragedy with assistance from detectives from the Yarra Crime Investigation Unit.

The investigation revealed there were no technical issues with the rollercoaster at the time of the accident. 

A Melbourne Royal Show spokeswoman claimed ‘the safety and well-being of our visitors to the show continues to be our number one priority’.

Ms Rodden suffered brain damage and injuries to her pelvis, arms, legs and back. Her father told Daily Mail Australia that the injuries were life-changing

A Melbourne Royal Show spokeswoman claimed ‘the safety and well-being of our visitors to the show continues to be our number one priority’ (pictured, the Royal Melbourne Show)

The rollercoaster that struck her reopened just days after the incident.

Show management declined to comment on whether new safety procedures had been adopted in the wake of it.  

Shylah’s father had told Daily Mail Australia last month that his daughter suffered life-changing injuries. 

‘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.’

More to come