Families were queuing for a popular Legoland ride when a baby boy in a pram suffered a cardiac arrest, shocked witnesses have revealed.
The infant remains in a critical condition, according to police, while a 27-year-old woman who was arrested has been released on bail.
The five-month-old boy was rushed to hospital after the incident at the tourist attraction in Windsor in Berkshire last Thursday.
Theme park staff have now told MailOnline of their distress after seeing what happened near a queue for the park’s Lego Coastguard HQ ride.
A woman from Witham in Essex was arrested on Saturday on suspicion of neglect to cause unnecessary injury.
A woman has been arrested on suspicion of neglect after a five-month-old boy suffered a cardiac arrest at Legoland Windsor Resort (file image)
The boy suffered the cardiac arrest near the Lego Coastguard HQ ride last Thursday afternoon
She has been released on police bail until April 26.
A Legoland employee told MailOnline how the upsetting scenes unfolded as people queued for the nearby Lego Coastguard HQ ride, one of the venue’s most popular.
They said: ‘The whole area around the ride was cordoned off. Guests and staff were asked to leave the area and barriers were set up stopping anyone from wandering in.
‘Other rides nearby were closed too. It sounds dramatic, but people were calm.
‘I saw two ambulances drive down towards the ride and one of the vehicles parked directly outside the face-painting stand.
‘I didn’t see what happened, but I was told that there had been some kind of an incident in or around the queue to the Coastguard ride.
‘The baby boy had been in a pram at the time and there was a woman with him – I don’t know if she’s the same person who was later arrested.
‘From where I was working, I couldn’t see any police so I don’t know if they actually spoke to her in the park.
Coastguard HQ (pictured) is a popular ride at Legoland Windsor Resort and police are asking people queuing for it to come forward if they have any information about the incident
A theme park worker has told MailOnline the incident did not happen on the ride itself
‘The police have been since the incident, I believe, to check the CCTV.’
The worker described the ride itself as ‘very gentle’, saying it ‘has no height restriction although young children must of course be accompanied by an adult’.
Riders must be a minimum of 1.3m (4ft 4in) to go on the ride if they are not accompanied by an adult or ‘responsible person’ at least 16 years of age.
Legoland advises that guests are required to press the foot pedals and steer the boat, adding that drivers may get wet during the ride.
The staff member added: ‘I don’t think anything happened on the ride itself, though, it wasn’t as though the boy fell into the water or anything like that.
‘It’s a slow boat ride basically with the odd jet of water in certain parts.
‘I just hope the little boy pulls through okay.’
Officials at Legoland today declined to comment on the incident.
The attraction at Legoland UK has been described as a ‘gentle water ride’ (file photo)
Riders must be a minimum of 1.3m (4ft 4in) to go on the ride if they are not accompanied by an adult or ‘responsible person’ at least 16 years of age
A manager said: ‘The incident is part of an ongoing police investigation so for that reason we aren’t saying anything at the moment.’
According to Thames Valley Police, the baby remains in a critical condition in hospital following the incident at about 1pm last Thursday.
Investigating officer Detective Constable Zoe Eele, of the Thames Valley Police Child Abuse Investigation Unit, said: ‘We are investigating a distressing incident involving a very young child at Legoland Windsor earlier this week.
‘Firstly, our thoughts are with the family of the boy who is in a critical condition in hospital after suffering a cardiac arrest. We are supporting them as best we can at this extremely difficult time.
‘We are working closely with the team at Legoland Windsor Resort but would like to speak to anyone who may have information about this incident, specifically anyone who was queueing for the Coastguard HQ boat ride between around 11.30am and 12.45pm.’
She appealed for anyone with information to call 101 or contact the force via its website, quoting reference number 43240202786 0- or else provide information anonymously to independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555111 or online.
Ms Eele added: ‘We have made an arrest in relation to this incident and are not looking for anyone else as a suspect.
‘I would ask for the public to please avoid speculation about the incident and to respect the boy’s family at this deeply upsetting time.’
The first Legoland theme park, in Billund in Denmark, opened in June 1968 (file photo)
Legoland at Windsor has become the country’s most visited theme park in recent years, attracting 2.43million people in 2022.
It first opened in March 1996, following the success of the first Legoland park in Billund in Denmark.
The Windsor theme park is open from March until January and currently offers 55 different attractions, including three rollercoasters and six water rides.
The site was previously home to Windsor Safari Park from 1969 until closing in 1992.
In a statement a Legoland spokesperson said: ‘We are extremely grateful to medically trained members of the public who provided immediate care, alongside our resort first aid team, until the emergency services arrived.
‘The guest left the resort in the ambulance for further treatment.
‘We’d like to thank the emergency services for their swift response, and our guests for their cooperation.
‘We will continue to support Thames Valley Police with their ongoing investigation.’
