Teams
Forum List
Toggle sidebar

Worlds highest water slide coming to KC

wxman1

wxman1

Well-Known Member
SuperFanatic
SuperFanatic T2
Jul 2, 2008
19,947
16,336
113
Cedar Rapids
  • Disagree
Reactions: jkclone
coolerifyoudid

coolerifyoudid

Well-Known Member
Feb 8, 2013
17,323
27,042
113
KC
It's almost impossible to escape this story here in KC. The lack of state safety inspections has many people up in arms. Add the grizzly details of his death and then you add the fact that Kansas being lax was a reason the slide was built in Kansas versus other venues, and you have a media frenzy.

Sadly, since I know one of the first responders, I learned about the boy's decapitation several days ago. I knew it was impossible, but I was really hoping that fact could have been left out of the media. Losing a child is terrible enough. Having to relive it in detail during newscasts and interviews seems almost inhuman.
 
  • Agree
Reactions: 2Xclone, TXCyclones, CysRage and 2 others
flynnhicks03

flynnhicks03

CF's Resident Bad Boy
SuperFanatic
SuperFanatic T2
Apr 11, 2006
3,411
2,968
113
www.mapcon.com
tim_redd

tim_redd

Well-Known Member
Mar 29, 2006
13,887
8,885
113
42
Ankeny
isufbcurt said:
I read somewhere the kid was under the minimum height requirements, is that true?
Click to expand...
Based off what little I've read, it seems like he was too small for the velcro straps and the entire raft was likely under the minimum weight limit. It was said he was riding with 2 unrelated females. I could see how an underweight group would fly off the hill part.
 
flynnhicks03

flynnhicks03

CF's Resident Bad Boy
SuperFanatic
SuperFanatic T2
Apr 11, 2006
3,411
2,968
113
www.mapcon.com
tim_redd said:
Based off what little I've read, it seems like he was too small for the velcro straps and the entire raft was likely under the minimum weight limit. It was said he was riding with 2 unrelated females. I could see how an underweight group would fly off the hill part.
Click to expand...

Nevermind, seems my question was answered below.
 
Last edited:
clonehenge

clonehenge

Well-Known Member
Apr 14, 2006
1,685
1,676
113
tim_redd said:
Based off what little I've read, it seems like he was too small for the velcro straps and the entire raft was likely under the minimum weight limit. It was said he was riding with 2 unrelated females. I could see how an underweight group would fly off the hill part.
Click to expand...

The minimum weight requirement was supposed to be 400 lbs. On the news last night they said it was he and two females (who's father did not want to speak to the reporter so I'm guessing they were college or high school age) so I assume they were under the 400 lbs requirement which caused them to catch air on the middle hump and hit the "safety" netting support. One woman had a broken jaw and the other a broken eye socket. The boy was in front so just imagine what the women saw...they spoke to an eye witness who is an RN and he rushed over when he heard the two booms (as he put it) and heard screaming...said he saw the raft coming down with the two women covered in blood and when he saw the boy told those that had joined to help that there was nothing they could do for the boy...

Horrific and sad.
 
awd4cy

awd4cy

Well-Known Member
Dec 29, 2010
28,012
19,625
113
Central Iowa
isufbcurt said:
I thought i saw a minimum height of 54" and the kid was less than that. That could provide a reason why the straps didn't hold him securely in.
Click to expand...
There sure have been a lot of stories of people saying the straps failed on them. Seems like that was a regular occurrence on that ride.
 
jbindm

jbindm

Well-Known Member
Dec 2, 2010
13,073
7,605
113
Des Moines
isufbcurt said:
I thought i saw a minimum height of 54" and the kid was less than that. That could provide a reason why the straps didn't hold him securely in.
Click to expand...

Hindsight is 20/20, but there are also a lot of "experts" weighing in now with the opinion that the straps are an insufficient restraint system. And that might be, but there's so much speculation right now as to what the exact cause was - it's possible that the victim didn't meet the minimum height requirement, or the raft didn't meet the minimum weight requirement, and/or the strap(s) came loose. Any one of those factors could have been the cause. I just feel terrible for the family. Losing a child is a tragedy in and of itself; to have it happen in such a public and gruesome way...man, I don't even have the words.
 
  • Agree
Reactions: 2Xclone and coolerifyoudid
coolerifyoudid

coolerifyoudid

Well-Known Member
Feb 8, 2013
17,323
27,042
113
KC
awd4cy said:
There sure have been a lot of stories of people saying the straps failed on them. Seems like that was a regular occurrence on that ride.
Click to expand...

Honestly, I was planning on riding it next month. It looked like a fun ride and I heard a lot of people that thought it was a blast.

I've talked to several people that rode it. They weigh you at the bottom of the stairs and then at the top and regularly turned people away. I'm not sure if it was negligence by the person running it at the time or not, but it didn't sound like the weight was something they "let slide" with regularity.

The straps are another thing altogether. My nieces (13 and 12) rode it the weekend prior to the accident and said the straps were confusing and had duct tape on them. They also said that the person running the ride didn't test the straps to make sure they were secure. She just gave them a "You good?" and a thumbs up (fairly typical of ride operators IMO).

A friend of mine commented that during the second drop, she didn't think her butt was hardly in the seat at all. The straps were the only thing holding her in. She's probably 125-130lbs.
 
aeroclone

aeroclone

Well-Known Member
Oct 30, 2006
10,373
7,191
113
coolerifyoudid said:
Honestly, I was planning on riding it next month. It looked like a fun ride and I heard a lot of people that thought it was a blast.

I've talked to several people that rode it. They weigh you at the bottom of the stairs and then at the top and regularly turned people away. I'm not sure if it was negligence by the person running it at the time or not, but it didn't sound like the weight was something they "let slide" with regularity.

The straps are another thing altogether. My nieces (13 and 12) rode it the weekend prior to the accident and said the straps were confusing and had duct tape on them. They also said that the person running the ride didn't test the straps to make sure they were secure. She just gave them a "You good?" and a thumbs up (fairly typical of ride operators IMO).

A friend of mine commented that during the second drop, she didn't think her butt was hardly in the seat at all. The straps were the only thing holding her in. She's probably 125-130lbs.
Click to expand...

I've never been on a water slide that required restraints, so not sure what would be typical there. But as far as thrill rides at theme parks are concerned, I can't recall the last time I was on something like a roller coaster where a staff member didn't come by to pull on the restraint to make sure it was secure. I would think that could be a liability issue in this case if that wasn't standard process here.
 
throwittoblythe

throwittoblythe

Well-Known Member
Aug 7, 2006
3,931
4,636
113
Minneapolis, MN
aeroclone said:
I've never been on a water slide that required restraints, so not sure what would be typical there. But as far as thrill rides at theme parks are concerned, I can't recall the last time I was on something like a roller coaster where a staff member didn't come by to pull on the restraint to make sure it was secure. I would think that could be a liability issue in this case if that wasn't standard process here.
Click to expand...

I know it's not apples to apples, but could you imagine riding on a roller coaster that used velcro for the restraint system?
 
C

clone34

Well-Known Member
Mar 29, 2009
390
333
63
My cousin and his wife were at the park that day. He is a policeman and ran to see if he could help. He told me it was very gruesome and I did not want to know the details. So I believed him. I saw a few rumblings about the boys injuries. Awful story and even more awful that the media released the details. Terrible stuff. Nobody needed to know the details. Just that the boy passed away and it sucks for everyone.
 
  • Agree
Reactions: isufbcurt
TXCyclones

TXCyclones

Well-Known Member
SuperFanatic
SuperFanatic T2
Sep 13, 2011
11,414
12,625
113
TX
aeroclone said:
I've never been on a water slide that required restraints, so not sure what would be typical there. But as far as thrill rides at theme parks are concerned, I can't recall the last time I was on something like a roller coaster where a staff member didn't come by to pull on the restraint to make sure it was secure. I would think that could be a liability issue in this case if that wasn't standard process here.
Click to expand...

This ride was originally designed without the use of restraints. But on the other side it almost seems bizarre that a ride that's in the water, that could potentially capsize, would have restraints.
 
jkclone

jkclone

Well-Known Member
Bookie
Jan 21, 2013
5,834
2,360
83
Urbandale
wxman1 said:
I had heard that on Sunday but didn't see it confirmed until last night. Add on the previous proof that the belts came off and there is no way this slide ever opens again if the park survives.
Click to expand...
If and it is a big if they can do improvements to the safety I could see the slide opening. Hard time seeing the park itself close unless it has issues with attendance.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest posts

Help Support Us

Become a patron
Top Bottom