Just a few minutes later, and Olympic runner Matthew Centrowitz would have been on the Australian theme park ride that malfunctioned and killed four people.
Centrowitz, who grew up in Arnold, Maryland, tweeted Monday that he had just exited the Thunder River Rapids ride at Dreamworld, a park on Queensland state's Gold Coast.
Dude! Just got off a ride 15 mins ago that has 1 person seriously injured & 2 others trapped ?? #Dreamworld
— Matthew Centrowitz (@MattCentrowitz) October 25, 2016
@MattCentrowitz hearing more news about the tragic event at Dreamworld today. Thoughts and prayers go out to people and families involved.
— Matthew Centrowitz (@MattCentrowitz) October 25, 2016
The Thunder River Rapids ride whisks people in circular rafts along a fast-moving, man-made river. A malfunction caused two people to be ejected from their raft, while two others were caught inside the ride.
RELATED: 4 killed on river rapids ride at Australian theme park
Download the ABC2 News app for the iPhone, Kindleand Android.