Long Term Degradation of Tube Slide Results in Sudden Fiberglass Failure and Major Leg Injury

A fiberglass failure in a tube slide located at Bridal Falls Waterpark resulted in several injuries to patrons progressing down the slide, including a major leg injury to an 11-year-old. The investigation found that long term degradation of the tube slide flume and support resulted in bulging and deformation of the flume surface, causing a crack to progress suddenly after the required daily inspection. Although staff became aware of the failure and shut down the slide, based on an inaccurate assessment of the hazard, a decision to evacuate the remaining patrons down the slide, instead of out, resulted in the most serious injuries.

Following the investigation, three recommendations have been made to support industry learning and to prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future.