Nurse feared she was ‘paralysed for life’ after suffering a serious back injury at Flip Out trampoline park – where two others fractured their spines on the same day
- Liza Jones was one of three to have suffered a fractured spine on the same day
A nurse has revealed how she feared that she had been left paralysed for life after sustaining a serious back injury while jumping at a trampoline park where an astonishing 270 known accidents took place over a seven-week period.
Liza Jones was one of three people to have suffered a fractured spine on the same day in February 2017 after jumping from a 13ft high tower into a foam-filled pit at the Flip Out trampoline park in Chester.
Details of her plight and that of scores of others around the country injured during visits to trampoline parks came as the former owners of Flip Out Chester were facing jail over health and safety failures. David Shuttleworth and Matthew Melling, both 33 admitted the offences following the series of accidents when they appeared at Chester Crown Court last month.
In total, 11 people broke their backs during a string of horrific accidents at the attraction that left them with life changing injuries.
Ms Jones, from Wrexham, told MailOnline that she is still undergoing treatment for the injury and counts herself lucky that she is able to walk.
She said: ‘I had a burst vertebra, I was told in hospital that if there had been any movement, I could have ended up paralysed.
Liza Jones who suffered a back fracture and burst vertebrae after landing in a foam pit at a trampoline park
Liza was left in ‘most pain I’ve ever suffered’ after leaping from a 13ft high platform into a foam pit at the 40,000 sq ft centre near Ellesmere Port in February 2017
Speaking with the Mail yesterday, Liza said she is glad the managers faced court action
‘I landed in the way I’d been told to, but I was one of three people who suffered broken backs that day. They were in the hospital next to me. We were told to land on our bottoms, but that puts all the force up through your spine.’
READ MORE: EXCLUSIVE: Runner was left paralysed for life after breaking his neck at Flip Out trampoline park – while gory images show how woman’s ankle was nearly ripped off
She added: ‘I’ve had physiotherapy for my back and recently I’ve had to go to the doctor for more painkillers. My back might get worse as I get older. I haven’t had any compensation, I’ve paid for a lot of the treatment myself.’
David Shuttleworth and Matthew Melling admitted failing to prevent visitors being exposed to risk and could face up to two years behind bars as well as hefty fines when they return to be sentenced.
The charges relate to an investigation into 270 known accidents over a seven-week period between December 2016 and February 2017.
Speaking about the long-term impact of her injuries, Ms Jones cried: ‘It’s affected me mentally, it’s affected my confidence. I used to love going roller-skating, going ice skating, to theme parks, but I don’t anymore because I’m scared of falling over.
‘I used to be quite a daredevil, but it’s knocked my confidence. It’s changed me.’
She welcomed the legal action against Shuttleworth and Melling insisting: ‘I’m glad they’ve [the ex-directors] faced court action because I could have been left paralysed.’
David Shuttleworth (right) and Matthew Melling (left), both 33 admitted the offences following the series of accidents when they appeared at Chester Crown Court last month
Details of her plight and that of scores of others around the country injured during visits to trampoline parks came as the former owners of Flip Out Chester were facing jail over health and safety failures
Three people diving off the Tower Jump at a Flip Out into a pool filled with foam blocks
She added: ‘People visiting these centres may feel they’re safe because they’ve got rules for people to follow, but that’s just not true.
READ MORE: Revealed: Trampoline bosses goof around in safety video after string of accidents at Flip Out park
‘The firms that are running them need to learn from this and ensure they’ve got proper health and safety in place.’
As infuriated customers called for trampoline parks to face censure over safety failings, a video emerged of Shuttleworth and Melling messing around in a health and safety video in the months after life-changing injuries to their customers occurred.
The safety video starts with Melling jokingly pulling Shuttleworth back from the camera after he interrupted the talk to shout, ‘Flip Out is the best place in the world!’
The men appear to be holding back laughter as they start to explain that landing on the trampolines’ padding could cause serious injuries, and ‘double bouncing’ could cause ‘tremendous pressure’ on the knees.
The clip is filled with short skits and jokes as the bosses makes light of the potential dangers at the park.
The safety video makes light of risks such as double and triple flipping into a foam-filled pit – which left people with broken backs – and fighting on the trampolines.
In one skit, two men are seen wrestling after one pulls the other down from climbing up the foam borders of the park.
Daniel Moseley was 20 years old when he broke his neck and became paralysed after jumping off a piece of equipment at the Flip Out trampoline park in Stoke in January 2018
Daniel, formerly a keen runner, said it made his ‘blood boil’ that the trampoline park did not perform the correct health and safety checks to stop his accident from happening
Rebecca Louden claimed she took advice on how to jump from a height into a foam pit only to have her ankle almost torn off. Pictured: Rebecca’s sliced open ankle
Grim photos show Rebecca’s exposed bones and tendons before she was rushed in for surgery
Their company was dissolved last year, with Flip Out Chester now operated by a different franchisee.
Other victims of accidents in Flip Out trampoline parks have also revealed how they were left with horrific injuries in one case leaving a keen runner paralysed for life.
Farmer and avid runner Daniel Moseley was 20 when he suffered a double neck fracture after attempting a double forward somersault into a foam pit at Flip Out Stoke, in Stone, Staffordshire.
The youngster is just one of many people injured at Flip Out, a company with 30 trampoline parks across the country and is opening a new one in Canary Wharf, London, later this year.
Rebecca Louden is another victim of their trampoline parks. Her ankle was nearly ripped off after she says she took advice on how to jump from a height into a foam pit only to have her ankle sliced open.
Grim photos show her exposed bones and tendons before she was rushed in for surgery.
Daniel became paralysed after jumping off a piece of equipment at Stoke’s Flip Out trampoline park in January 2018, which was also run by Shuttleworth and Melling.
He fumed: ‘The fact remains that in the years before my accident nothing was done in regard to health and safety to prevent this from happening.’
Ms Louden meanwhile claimed she took advice on how to jump from height into a foam pit only to have her ankle sliced open. Grim photos show her exposed bones and tendons before she was rushed in for surgery.
On a different occasion, a mother-of-two was left passed out in the park after a ball smacked her in the face, with staff unaware of how to provide medical treatment and letting the potentially concussed woman drive her two infants home.
In another park, a child jumped on to a play mat that on which there was a hammer and crowbar left unattended by workmen. When a complaint was made to the company nothing was said, according to the concerned parent.
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