Five-year-old child falls from Georgia waterslide, plunging 20 feet
A Georgia 5-year-old was involved in yet another amusement park accident over the holiday weekend.
The child, who has not been named, was enjoying time at the Lake Winnepesaukah attraction known as Lake Winnie Amusement Park and SOAKya Water Park in Rossville, Georgia on the Fourth when he fell roughly 20 feet from a waterslide.
The boy was accompanied by an adult in a double tube on Twist-N-Shout water ride when something went awry, according to an email statement released by the park. Park medics responded before county fire EMS arrived to transport the child to the Children's Hospital at Erlanger in Chattanooga.
Ziplining accident: Georgia dad says he had to save daughter after zipline wrapped around her neck at Adventure Park
Catoosa County Public Information Officer John Pless told USA TODAY in an email statement that the child was "conscious and alert but appeared to have scrapes and bruises" when paramedics arrived.
Witnesses told local ABC affiliate NewsChannel 9 that they wondered if the boy “was alive” after they saw him “fly out” of the slide and hit the ground.
While the boy’s current condition is unknown, the ride has since reopened after a state inspection, according to a statement from the park. Pless said that officials still do not know what caused the child to fall.
"The state of Georgia today reinspected the Twist-N-Shout water ride in operation, including the rider tubes, the ride foundation, and signage and reopened it,” the release said. “Lake Winnepesaukah is a family amusement park that prides itself on a safe, welcome atmosphere."
Pless confirmed that the Georgia Office of Commissioner of Insurance and Safety Fire "investigated, found the slide to be safe, and has authorized the park to reopen."
According to the park’s website, double rider tubes have a 350-pound weight limit, while the single rider tubes have a 250-pound limit. The ride is described in a blurb as “intense” and “not suitable for young riders or those with health conditions” and lists a minimum height requirement of 42 inches.
Roller coaster pillar crack: North Carolina roller coaster to receive new support pillar after crack found at Carowinds
This was not the only amusement ride-related incident to happen in recent weeks. Last Friday, a North Carolina roller coaster was shut down after a crack was discovered in one of its pillars. Also, over the Fourth of July weekend, fairgoers in Wisconsin found themselves stuck upside down for hours after a ride stalled on a loop. And, a few weeks ago in Sweden, a roller coaster derailment resulted in one death and nine injuries.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Five-year-old boy plunges 20 feet from Georgia waterslide
