1997 Water World slide collapse

[rcg19]

Deleted by user

Edited December 29, 2010 by rcg19

[netdvn]

I know it's been 13 years since the accident at Water World where the high school students "clogged" the water slide and it broke, but I am still completely confused over WHY those who knowingly broke the rules were compensated, and the water park, which was clearly not at fault, had to pay all that money (along with the school district and the slide's manufacturer). The park was completely blameless! And so was the slide's manufacturer! But a wrongful death suit was filed anyway-- "wrongful death" as in "negligent." How was the park negligent? They did nothing wrong. I remember at the time thinking that those who were involved in the incident couldn't possibly sue anyone because they caused it !! Yet... the water park and the manufacturer had to fork over the money. I know this may sound unsympathetic but those who were hurt are whose who were to blame.

 

Maybe someone can enlighten me.

 

You have to realize that...

A) America is a sue-happy nation that will file lawsuits over the dumbest things (like spilling hot coffee on your lap).

 

B) The average person doesn't know any better. They see a ride accident, they automatically think the ride is unsafe. They hear horror stories, they stay away. Let's put this into perspective. Trimless I305, while a perfectly safe coaster, was known for causing people to black out. Most people think that the ride can kill you if you black out; therefore, they stay away. They fail to realize that it is possible to black out on less-intense coasters, but that doesn't stop them from saying X ride is dangerous because of Y. The exact same thing happens with accidents like this.

 

C) The news media likes to blow things out of proportion. Because accidents like this are rare, it's easy for them to point the blame on the manufacturer or the park for negligence and to treat the people who were blatantly disregarding the rules as the victim because they died.

[Pingu1651]

The news media likes to blow things out of proportion.

 

Exactly.

 

Really, clogging is just a dumb idea. Especially on a ride of that magnitude. I'll admit it; I've done trains and stuff on my local pool slide, but that's only 20 feet high with the stress of 10-12 kids. Not 70 kids on a 4-story water slide.

 

I really have some questions due to the way this was reported though:

 

1. Was there anyone with the sense to realize that was a bad idea?

2. Why didn't the lifeguards step in (my only case against the park)?

[Skycoastin Steve]

^

1. The park was an easier target for NBC. They had the kids there for an interview and the sympathy of a death among their friends. They weren't going to sit them down and say, "Look here, jackasses, you were effing stupid and a friend of yours died because of your stupidity." (Even though they should have).

 

2. Most water slides are only going to have one lifeguard at the entrance to the slide. 40 kids versus one lifeguard isn't exactly a fair fight for the lifeguard to step in and stop them.

[Goliath513]

While I disagree with the outcome of the case and don't feel the least sorry for the "victims" of this, I do feel that the park's decision to settle was in their best interest. The liberal media would have torn the park to pieces and given it a reputation which they could never recover from if they at least didn't fake a "sorry for what happened" even though they were not at fault. If anyone from the park (or anyone else who could see beyond the tragedy and realize these kids were the ones who killed their friend) had been interviewed to explain the truth of the whole situation, the park would appear as nothing more than a heartless greedy corporation who doesn't care about humanity and wants your children dead. Fortunately, the park is still around and the slide which this occurred on still exists under a new name. One more thing, that $4 million settlement is almost nothing compared to the massive amounts of money spent by Premier Parks on huge coasters at their other parks during that same time period.

[Inukaza]

The lifeguard did try to help, with the limitations they are allowed to do. They can't just tackle/wrestle them to the ground, they could be sued for THAT. I'm a lifeguard myself, granted I don't work at a waterpark, so I don't have much training in that matter. But I am certain that there wasn't much they could do other then to call security to intercept the group and kick them out.

 

(I work at a pool though, one lacking a waterslide unfortunately.)