Boy flies off slide at water park on opening day
DUBLIN, California -- A 10-year-old boy was taken to the hospital as a precaution after he slid off a waterslide at a new waterpark Saturday. He was treated for scrapes and then released.
The boy went down a new three-story slide called the Emerald plunge. As he came down and got to the bottom of the slide he flew up and over the edge and rolled onto the concrete. That slide is now closed as is the blue slide next to it.
They both have steep 80-degree drops.
This was the very first day this city-owned water park was open. It's called "The Wave" and cost $43 million to build. Hundreds of other people stayed at the park Saturday afternoon, most of them unaware of the accident. They enjoyed the other four slides and the pools.
The assistant city manager witnessed it all.
"I was standing there. He seemed to be shook but seemed to be OK. He immediately got up and went into the first aid room. He was assessed by staff and his parents were here," Linda Smith said.
The city of Dublin says the slides went through extensive testing and were just permitted yesterday. The manufacturer was on site Saturday, and will see if they need to add a weight requirement or adjust the pressure or flow of the water on the slide.
