Dreamworld will likely cover the private school fees of two children after they lost their biological dad when he was killed in the theme park’s Thunder River Rapids disaster that claimed the lives of four people.
Roozbeh ‘Roozi’ Araghi, 38, was killed alongside his partner Luke Dorsett when the ride’s water pump malfunctioned on October 25, 2016, causing their heavy raft to flip when the water levels dropped dangerously low.
The tragedy, which rocked the theme park city of the , also claimed the lives of Mr Dorsett’s sister Kate Goodchild and mother Cindy Low, while the women’s two young children miraculously escaped physically unharmed.
Now, it has been revealed Mr Araghi was the biological father of two children, Zachary Araghi-Dawson, 8, and Harrison Araghi-Dawson, https://www.lonelantern.org/ 4, after he donated sperm to his cousin’s partner to help them have a family.
The children could be awarded damages if their claim as his ‘dependants’ is settled in court,
Roozbeh ‘Roozi’ Araghi, 38, (pictured) was killed when Dreamworld’s Thunder River Rapids ride malfunctioned in October 2016
High-flying Sydney software executive Sarah Dawson, 46, who is in a same-sex relationship with his cousin Nicola ‘Nicki’ Araghi, was gifted the sperm prior to Mr Araghi’s death.
Ms Dawson gave birth to Zachary in 2013 and was pregnant with Harrison when Mr Araghi died, giving birth to the boy in 2017, eight months after his death.
Last month, and more than five years after the tragedy, Ms Dawson lodged an application in the Supreme Court in Brisbane for the children’s dependency claim to be settled.
The claim against Dreamworld’s parent company Ardent Leisure was provisionally resolved for $300,000 at a meeting in October last year.
However, the settlement needs the court’s approval to be finalised.
Ms Dawson told the court the proposed payment was reasonable ‘particularly with a claim involving a novel family arrangement like ours’.
Ms Dawson, who is the chief customer officer at software company PropertyMe, said the settlement mitigated the costs and risks of taking the case to trial.
Lawyer Merridy Gordon, representing the boys, said in an affidavit tendered to the court that Ardent Leisure’s liability over the tragedy is ‘not really in doubt, given the damning findings of the Coroner’s Court’.
Pictured: Nicola ‘Nicki’ Araghi (front) and Sarah Dawson (back) with their two sons, Zachary and Harrison
In September 2020, Ardent Leisure was ordered to pay $3.6million in fines after pleading guilty to safety charges over the Thunder River Rapids ride tragedy.
The Coroner’s Court said there had been a ‘systemic failure by Dreamworld to ensure all aspects of safety’ and the ride posed a ‘significant risk’ to patrons.
The coronial inquest into the four deaths heard how there was ‘ample evidence of the potential for a disaster’ and the coroner blasted Dreamworld for its ‘frighteningly unsophisticated’ systems.
In her submission last month, Ms Dawson told the court Mr Araghi was a ‘very involved uncle’ who spent time with Zachary and was willing to contribute to the costs of child care and education, agreeing that his sons should attend a private school.
‘Roozi intended that the children would be raised by Nicki and me, but that he would support the children nonetheless.
We welcomed his involvement,’ Ms Dawson wrote in her affidavit.
Ms Dawson said Mr Araghi wanted the boys to attend International Grammar School in Sydney’s CBD because it supports same-sex relationships.
The trust fund would be split 60 and 40 per cent between the boys, Ms Dawson added.
Kate Goodchild (pictured left) and her brother Luke Dorsett (right), the partner of Mr Araghi, were also killed in the Dream World tragedy
Queensland Emergency service personnel are seen responding to the tragedy at the Gold Coast amusement theme park in October 2016
Harrison will receive the higher portion as he has not yet started his schooling, the court heard.
The case is due to be heard on September 12.
Daily Mail Australia has contacted Ms Dawson, Ms Araghi and their lawyer for comment.
Ms Dawson and Ms Araghi, an IT executive, have been together for 12 years and live in a $2million home in Marrickville, in Sydney’s inner west.
Mr Araghi, who lived in Canberra, worked at the Australian Bureau of Statistics, while his partner Mr Dorsett also worked in the public service as an employee for the organ donation register.
In 2018, Simon Araghi paid tribute to his younger sibling as a loving brother and beautiful uncle who was the life of every party.
‘He is such an amazing uncle to my 13-year-old son,’ Simon told The Canberra Times.
‘He was all of these things and so much more.
No words can even begin to describe him. His presence spoke for itself.’
<div class="art-ins mol-factbox news" data-version="2" id="mol-6f6454d0-ffe6-11ec-b651-290e4421a428" website to pay private school fees for kids of man killed on ride
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