Teenager killed in fall from aerial platform while dismantling Carnaval float
A 16-year-old passed away on Friday morning after falling out of an aerial platform while they were dismantling a carnival float in Raamsdonk, Omroep Brabant reported. The boy, named Thijs, was resuscitated and rushed to hospital after the incident, but he passed away due to his injuries on Friday morning.
The incident happened in a construction shed on the Kerklaan in Raamsdonk. Thijs and his colleague fell out of the aerial platform while dismantling a carnival float owned by the Carnaval association Goei Geknoei.
Police reported at 9. p.m. on Thursday that two teenagers had been taken to hospital after falling out of the aerial platform. A police spokesperson had no update about the other boy’s current condition.
Stefan van Strien, the chairman of the Stichting Raamsdonkse Karnaval association, has not spoken to Thijs parents yet. Van Strien said that many people in Raamsdonk want to hold a silent march in Thijs’ memory. “But first we want to listen to the family’s wishes. We can organize it all but it has to be with respect to the family, so we will currently wait.”
It was the second year that C.V. Goei Geknoei participated in the parades in Raamsdonk and Raamsdonksveer during the carnival. "Goei Geknoei has made a wonderful contribution to our parade. We are a very close-knit village and have celebrated carnival intensely together for four days. Then news like this hits even harder,” Van Strien added.
The municipality of Geertruidenburg will host a closed meeting along with Victim Support and the GGD on Saturday for the people who were present during the accident.
"Bizarre. You are still in the trance of carnival, which went so well, and then you hear this. It cannot be put into words,” Van Strien said.
