Water Park Investigating After Boy Flies Off Giant Slide Image courtesy of East Bay Times
Fun in the sun was cut short over Memorial Day weekend when a 10-year-old boy flew off a giant water slide at a park that just opened in California.
The great news is that the boy was able to walk away from the incident. Not so great — at least for the park — is that the slide has been closed while officials investigate what happened, reports the East Bay Times.
Video shows the boy just after he’s gone down the Emerald Plunge at The Wave, in Dublin, CA. Instead of staying in the slide until he stops, he flies over the edge of the slide and onto the concrete.
He walked away with just minor cuts and bruises, but officials aren’t letting anyone else on the slide for the moment.
“Whenever we have an incident, no matter what magnitude, where someone gets injured we will shut the slide down and make sure that the slide is operating safely,” city parks director Jim Rodems told CBS News.
A second, similar slide called The Dublin Screamer was also closed on Saturday afternoon, with officials saying the two slides won’t reopen until they’re sure of their safety.
A third slide at the park was also closed as a precaution but reopened for business on Monday after officials fixed equipment that tracks water pressure.
Last summer, a 10-year-old boy died after falling from The Verruckt at the Schlitterbahn Water Park in Kansas City, KS. That slide — which was billed as the “world’s largest waterslide” — was shut down for good.
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