A few more facts have been released, including the name of the gymnast who seems to have had a strong gymnastics background:
The mother of a 19-year-old gymnast who died last week in Townsville in north Queensland says there was nothing freakish about the training accident.
Michelle Maitland hit her head after a falling from the tumble track last Thursday.
She was admitted to Townsville General Hospital in a critical condition and died early on Friday.
Workplace Health and Safety Queensland is investigating the death.
Her mother, Anne Maitland, says a safety mat was missing from where it would normally be and her daughter hit her head on the concrete. …
Initially I feared this might be a “dumb” Adult Recreation gymnastics fall. But to me it sounds only a very sad and unfortunate accident.
We have the same problem in my gym. Reminding everyone to return safety mats to their normal location.
My condolences to the family.
UPDATE:
I am Michelle Maitland’s mother. Thanks for condolences. Michelle was not doing anything radical at Gymnastics Townsville and had only returned to the adult class this year, not having been inside a gym centre since 2002. Yes, it would have been a good idea for Michelle to check the mats herself but was just going around a normal circuit with the group and coach. She did a layout off the tumble tramp’ and I am guessing she realised the crash mat was not there as she went over and tried to pull the somersault short so as to land on the thin mat immediatly at the end of the tramp- that would have made her feet skid forward and her head smashed into the concrete. A very basic error. No reports have been completed by WH&S or the Coroner as yet. I have advise the Gymnastics officials at a state and national level that I would expect them to install some sort of safety flooring or permenant matting in all gyms but they are waiting for the reports before taking any voluntary action. Even the rubbery material put around all playground equipment would be better than concrete I believe.
17 comments ↓
“Initially I feared this might be a “dumb” Adult Recreation gymnastics fall. But to me it sounds only a very sad and unfortunate accident.”
What?
Someone forgetting to return a safety mat doesn’t fly with me.
Ya, I kinda found that comment ‘dumb’ as well. I’m in my 40′s and go to adult gym once a week (basic tumbling, conditioning etc, nothing crazy) Anyway, and now that I’m older – I’m pretty cautious with what I’m attempting.
Perhaps my “dumb” comment was badly worded.
I feared that an inexperienced adult with an inexperienced coach did something that could easily have been avoided.
However, from the few articles I’ve read, this young woman was quite an experienced gymnast. Experienced enough to make an assessment of what equipment was “safe” on her own.
She “flew off a TumblTrak”, a somewhat rare fall.
Most gyms do not have enough mats to position for every possible fall. Mine doesn’t.
We would have to be there to know for sure. But it sounds to me this was just a very, very unlucky accident.
Unfortunately the minimum required matting extending 6m from the end of the “Trak” was not in place. These manufacturer recomended requirements are rarely met in a very large amount of gymnastics facilities around the country.
As per “rickmc” own admission above.
This leaves, in today’s litigous society, the coach, their supervisor (Head Coach) and every member of the comittee (be they paid or unpaid) as liable. Possibly at a personal level as well as professionally!
I would hope that this accident pulls people up to take a good look at their facility they offer to the public, and consider how “safe” they really are in not only the practical sense, but also the legal ruling on safety.
Heartfelt condolences to the friends and family of Michelle.
Gymnastics Townsville is currently being prosecuted by the appropriate authorities regarding my daughter’s death in their facility last year ………… this was not a “freakish accident” but rather a total failure in the gyms safety procedures and duty of care.
Please keep us updated with the results of the legal proceedings, Ann.
Perhaps information on what happened to your daughter might prevent a catastrophic accident to someone else’s child in future.
Thinking of you …
WH&S focused ONLY on the lack of risk assessment at the trial which concluded this week. No mention was made of the minimum 6m landing mats recommended by the manufacturer. Gym personnel fudged around all the basic safety issues and provided a lot of misleading/false information of course. Head coach eventually admitted to judge that they would normally have a mat covering the concrete floor where Michelle’s skull was smashed when gymnasts are practicing tumbling combinations and that it is now fixed in place so that no-one can move it – to prevent future deaths or injuries. Michelle was not an experienced gymnast and had received no training since age 12 but did have a lot of natural talent. She had sucessfully completed several round-off flick back layout with full twists prior to the fatal one which she landed badly. The judge will deliver his decision in approx one month.
Thanks so much Ann, for keeping us updated. Obviously this tragedy has implication for every training facility in the world.
Thinking of you …
I feel for a mother’s pain, and accidents do happen, but there may have been other factors at play?
http://www.townsvillebulletin.com.au/article/2010/09/09/169111_news.html
Don’t believe everything you read in the newspapers – - NO amphetamines & only residual marijuana (not from day she died)…..just a dody defence stratagy. WH&S not in court to argue about slander – only there to point out basic safety failure. Gym told magistrate that there is usually a mat in place. Check out Gym Tsv website for amount of concrete floor and risk kids are placed in. Manufacturer’s guidelines not followed.
I should also point out that the family has NO control over what WH&S does, who they prosecute or what part of the defence is disputed. WH&S is a government body and acts independently.
Also, family members don’t control whether or not legislation is introduced to make backward/provincial gyms improve their standards.
Nothing good can come out of Michelle’s death for us now. She will remain dead and is now subject to slander and defamation of character in the media and even in internet blogs.
We know what happened that day. We have witnesses and medical reports. The media can only report what was said in court. Maybe you should look more at the article – even after someone died in this gym, the management didn’t provide a risk assessment because they were “too busy”, wouldn’t give WH&S their safety handbook because they felt it had “no value” and do now have a mat in place in that particular area.
Maybe for future gymnasts this gym will be made to cover its concrete floors by legislation but it would seem they are not willing to do it voluntarily.
http://www.gymnasticstownsville.com/welcome/photos/WAG/MAG%20Regionals%202002%20-%20March%20On%203.jpg
Thanks again for the update, Ann.
… I’m still hoping there will be some small benefit from having this tragedy go to court. It would be awful to have Michelle’s name in the media without it resulting in some good.
I am also hoping that new legislation is introduced to ensure all Australian gymnastics centres have coverings over all concrete areas but, like I said, the family has NO control over the court proceedings or the Coroner. If we had, there would be no slander being put around about Michelle now because we can prove it to be lies.
People such as yourselves could have an impact in your own countries and here by pressuring the authorities . . . . rather than me just “hoping”. I am just viewed as the grieving mother whereas you are involved in the industry. Why not contact FIG and pressure them into making it an international code ie: for a country to be a member of FIG, NO concrete floors should be allowed in children’s gymnastics facilities. YOU HAVE THE POWER, do you have the will? Minor accidents occur in these sub-standard gyms frequently and a fatality could occur in any of them.
Gymnastics Townsville found Guilty of safety contravention in WH&S trial…………sentence not until 15th November. Really unfortunate that the magistrate seemed to believe some of the false and misleading information concocted by the gym and not disputed by WH&S but will see what can be done about that. First step done but not over until all concrete floors are covered.
http://www.townsvillebulletin.com.au/article/2010/10/02/174241_news.html
Leave a Comment