For the latest news on this report, click here.
DUBLIN — The much-anticipated debut of the $43 million water park “The Wave” took a scary turn Saturday when a boy was launched from a three-story water slide, landing on the concrete exit next to the ride.
The 10-year-old boy was “just shaken up” with a scratched shoulder that was treated by first aid, a park spokeswoman said shortly after the incident witnessed and recorded by a Bay Area News Group photographer covering the Dublin park’s grand opening. The photographer saw scratches on the boy’s back, before he walked away on his own power and was helped by a lifeguard and city employee shortly after noon Saturday. The ride had only been operating for 90 minutes.
The park closed the Emerald Plunge slide after the incident indefinitely and spokeswoman Shari Jackman said they are “reevaluating that slide.” No police or fire were called to the scene, park officials said, because the parents declined and were going to have the boy checked out on their own.
Dublin Assistant City Manager Linda Smith, who was standing next to the slide when the incident happened, immediately helped the boy.
“He got up immediately and as any boy would be, he was stunned,” Smith said. “I was worried if he was mentally OK, but physically he just had some scrapes.”
Park officials shut down the slide, as well as adjacent slide “Dublin Screamer,” and contacted manufacturer WhiteWater West Industries to have them come out and assess the slide. The slide had been tested “scores of times,” Smith said, and Cal-OSHA gave them a permit to open the slide Friday.
Reading this on your phone? Stay up to date on East Bay news with our free mobile app. Get it from the Apple app store or the Google Play store.
“We’re not going to open it until we know what happened,” Smith said.
The Emerald Plunge is an open water slide that drops riders at an 80-degree angle before it flattens out at the bottom. On its website, the park described the slide: “A severe drop induces thrills in this open air ride. Prepare for a rush as you drop three stories at an 80 degree slope.”
Park officials said they followed the manufacturer’s guidelines for the slide, which has height requirements. They said they might increase the water pressure to slow riders down and add weight limits.
The park also said riders are asked to cross their arms and legs when riding down and the boy’s legs were apart.
The video shows the boy hydroplaning out of the slide near the bottom, where the arch of his back slides along the rim of the water slide for a number of feet before the boy is launched onto the concrete below. It does not appear the boy’s legs are spread when he pops outside the slide.
The Wave’s four other water slides, including “Shamrock Swirl,” “Golden Wave” and “Riptide Rider,” remained open Saturday.
About 700 people bought tickets for the debut by about 2 p.m., park officials said, on the sunny day with a light breezes.
The facility, located by Dublin’s Emerald Glen Park, also has three pools, a water playground and a 2,000-seat outdoor performing arts center. It is filled with about 480,000 gallons of water.
The facility is expected to employ nearly 200 seasonal employees and will cost about $2.5 million to operate in its first year.
Check back for updates.
Staff writers Jose Carlos Fajardo and Gary Peterson contributed to this report.
