DREAMWORLD TRAGEDY I'LL NEVER FORGET THAT DAY'

A parrot called Archie helped Michael now they're both healing others

- Katherine Chatfield

When Michael Clancy arrived for work at Dreamworld on October 25, 2016, he could never have guessed his life was about to be changed forever. The guest services manager witnessed the devastating, fatal accident at the park that claimed the lives of four visitors.

"Those images will never leave me," he tells Woman's Day. "I helped deal with the husband and children of one of the poor victims, as well as evacuating the park and helping the police. It was horrific."

Cindy Low, Kate Goodchild, Luke Dorsett and Roozi Araghi died when the Gold Coast theme park's Thunder River Rapids ride malfunctioned. The Queensland Coroner later described the park's safety practices as "irresponsible" and "dangerous"

EMOTIONAL CONNECTION

Michael, now 54, and his family experienced serious abuse from members of the public in the months afterwards.

"I was spat on, kicked and had death threats sent to me," he admits.

Michael's daughter Tegan, then nine, and Riley, eight, were bullied at school.

"Tegan said she didn't want to tell me [about it] because she didn't want me to be any more upset than I was already. That made me feel even worse," he says.

The trauma took its toll, and three months after the incident, Michael left his job.

"I just couldn't get through another day of abuse," he says.

He started to experience severe anxiety attacks and found it hard to leave the house.