A woman who got trapped in a waterslide at a Gold Coast theme park is suing its owners for A$400,000 ($511,676), saying she has been traumatised by the ordeal.

Cherie Schramm is also seeking compensation from Wet 'n' Wild after she injured her left shoulder while extricating herself from a tube on the Aqua Loop.

The 30-year-old became stuck halfway through the ride in January last year because she had not gathered enough momentum to complete the full loop.

She got stuck at the bottom of the loop and panicked she would be hit by another rider.

In a damages claim filed in the Southport District Court, Schramm said she managed to get out of the slide through an escape hatch but damaged a rotator cuff while doing so.

She said she was not adequately warned about the potential to become stuck adding that the distress caused by the incident continued to affect her.

Her legal representatives claimed Wet 'n' Wild owner Village Roadshow failed to keep patrons safe although they acknowledged each of the Aqua Loop's four slides had a built-in escape hatch and a staircase to allow trapped riders to exit.

Schramm's lawyers said Wet 'n' Wild should have provided instructions or directions to water park users, either through a recorded message, intercom session or by written signage at the point of exit, on how to safely exit the ride.

Riders should be pre-warned that in case of emergency, the Aqua Loop slide would stop operating so no one else could collide with them, and that should be reminded to stand up when using the hatch.

A Village Roadshow theme parks spokesman said the matter was in the hands of its insurers and declined to comment.

Schramm was also unavailable for comment while the case proceeds.

- © Fairfax NZ News

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