‘Our daughter broke her neck on zipline - it's too dangerous for playground'

The parents of a schoolgirl who broke her neck after falling headfirst from a zipline at a popular playground say it is “too dangerous” for children. Eight-year-old Lois Crook was taken to a London hospital, where a heavy custom halo brace was screwed into her skull, after suffering the serious fracture at Victoria Park in Ashford. She is now back home in Smeeth but says her Easter holidays have been ruined and she is struggling to sleep.

Her mum and dad say the zipline, installed three years ago as part of a £5 million revamp of the park, travels too fast and flung Lois 10 feet into the air. Ashford Borough Council (ABC) has confirmed an investigation into the incident on Thursday, March 27, is underway. Lois is now facing a long recovery and must wear the cumbersome brace for at least 12 weeks.



Her parents, Emma and Daniel Crook, told KentOnline they want to see improved safety measures at the park and are “just grateful it wasn’t more serious”. Mrs Crook, who works alongside her husband for Kingsfords Solicitors in Ashford, had taken Lois and son Elliot, 10, to the council-owned park after school – something they had done many times before. The 41-year-old said: “I just saw Lois coming down the zipline and I thought, ‘Oh my goodness, that’s going quite fast’.

“Then she hit the bumper, and the bottom of it swung up – she just flew off and arced through the air. “She landed headfirst on the grass. She must have been around 10 feet in the air.

” Despite her daughter being conscious and crying after the fall, Mrs Crook immediately sensed something was wrong. “She was talking at first, but by the time we got to Orbital Park, she stopped speaking to me and just said, ‘My neck hurts and I feel sick.’ That’s when I really started to panic.

” Lois was initially taken to the William Harvey Hospital, where trauma staff quickly suspected a fracture and placed her in neck blocks to prevent any movement. She was given a CT and MRI scan, which confirmed a break to the peg on her second vertebra – a C2 fracture. This type of injury, often referred to as a hangman’s fracture, is considered serious due to its location at the top of the spine.

Remarkably, her spinal cord was not damaged. Mr Crook, 42, explained: “The peg on the C2 vertebra had broken – that’s the part that allows your head to move. “The consultant said it was the kind of injury you’d expect from a car crash, not something you’d normally see from a zipline accident at a playground.

” Because the William Harvey does not have paediatric halo braces, Lois had to remain in the neck blocks for more than 15 hours before being transferred to King’s College Hospital in London the following morning. She spent a week at King’s, where a custom-made halo brace was surgically fitted using four pins screwed into her skull – two at the front and two at the back. It must be tightened 48 hours after fitting and checked regularly to avoid complications.

“It was terrifying,” Mrs Crook said. “I had no idea what a halo brace even was. Then a nurse showed me a photo on Google.

It was quite shocking to see.” Despite the trauma, the couple praised the care they received at both hospitals. “The staff were fantastic,” said Mr Crook.

“We were so lucky there was no spinal cord damage, and the team at King’s had a clear plan from the moment we arrived.” Lois now faces a host of challenges at home, including pain, disrupted sleep and difficulty walking. She needs help bathing, getting dressed and even getting up from a chair.

She can only walk short distances unaided. For longer journeys, she uses a wheelchair. Lois, a pupil at Brook Community Primary School, has remained positive - but explained some of the difficulties she is facing.

She told KentOnline: “It’s ruined all my Easter holidays. “The pins in my head really hurt to start with, but the pain isn’t too bad now. It can just be hard to get to sleep at night.

“I’m really missing going to school and seeing my friends, but we are planning a big party for when I am all better.” The family are still returning to London for check-ups. Last week, a loose nut on the brace prompted an urgent visit back to King’s.

“Because her head can’t move at all, she’s really top-heavy and vulnerable to falling,” Mrs Crook said. “Physio has helped a bit, but she still struggles. “It’s going to be a long journey ahead, but we are just taking each day as it comes.

” Mr and Mrs Crook say they want to raise awareness about the risks posed by playground ziplines and hope no other family has to go through what they have. “It’s too dangerous,” Mrs Crook said. “The council need to put something in place so that the zipline doesn't travel at such high speeds.

“We just don't want to see anyone else go through this.” A spokesperson for ABC which delivered the revamp of the park with the help of the National Lottery Heritage Fund, said: “We are aware of an incident involving a child at Victoria Park; however, we are unable to provide a comment whilst investigations are ongoing.”.