American Dream says water park to stay closed through Thursday after helicopter crash
American Dream announced the DreamWorks Water Park will be closed through Thursday, after a decorative helicopter fell from the park's ceiling on Sunday and crashed into the pool below, injuring four people.
The state’s Department of Community Affairs, however, is investigating the source of the accident, and ordered the park to remain closed for the duration of that investigation.
After the Sunday afternoon accident, three of the injured people left the water park, and the fourth person was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment. The park was evacuated.
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Agency spokesperson Lisa Ryan said the DCA could not estimate when the investigation would be complete and the park would reopen.
“The DreamWorks Water Park is currently shut down and shall remain shut down pending completion of DCA’s ongoing investigation,” Ryan said.
Originally, American Dream said the water park would be closed Monday through Wednesday. The move left the DreamWorks park shut on Presidents Day and for at least part of a week when business was expected to be brisk, with many schools closed and parents and children looking for activities.
American Dream spokeswoman Jessica Griffin said the rest of the mall and its attractions remain open.
"The safety of our guests is our highest priority," Griffin said in an emailed statement. "All appropriate security measures have been taken; the park is secured for the duration of the investigation. Additionally, our guest services team is on site to provide guidance to those whose visits were impacted by [Sunday's] event."
She added: "We voluntarily suspended operations immediately following [Sunday's] event and remain in lockstep with the state as we continue to coordinate on the investigation to ensure all safety regulations and requirements are met before reopening the DreamWorks Water Park."
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: American Dream helicopter crash: Water park closure extended
