While visiting The Beach Waterpark this past Saturday, August 24th, 2013, we rode the Big Kahuna. As I have ridden the ride many of times before, I have never had a bad experience like this one this past Saturday.\r
I rode with my father in the front and myself in the back seat. We came off the last drop of the slide and our raft did not stop! It kept going and sending us at an extremely fast pace into the cement wall at the end of the pool. My father was lucky to have ducked his head in time to not hit the cement wall straight on! Instead with his left foot in front, he ducked he hit his shoulder and head! With the force I was crashed into my father’s body.\r
As I stood up and pushed the raft away, my father was trying to catch his breath and stand up. While I’m trying to help my father up, continuing to push the raft away I saw the life guard just standing there. Taking a step back from his post, without offering to help my father or I out, I called my husband (who witnessed all this with my sister) to come in and help us out. As we were being helped out by my husband, it was pointed out to me by other witnesses that there was no cushion to soften any kind of stop at the ending pool. It is a piece of flapping old foam and straight concrete under with a wooden post above where the lifeguard stood.\r
My husband came into the water and got my father over to side walk to sit down. As the ride continued and guests we’re asking if we we’re okay if they could get someone to help. It wasn’t until my husband went over to the lifeguard and asked for him to call a medic that we we’re acknowledge by the lifeguard.\r
Finding out the guard did not have a whistle to call; he left his post to go get someone. We then had two other lifeguards come up to us, ask where the lifeguard standing at the bottom was, we replied ‘to find a medic’. Never introducing them to us, we later found out one of the guards were the supervisor on duty.\r
We let my father sit for few minutes, with the supervisor asking what exactly happened and if everyone was okay. She offers a wheelchair; we decline and walk my father to the first aid office where we were introduced to Nick, the manager of the park that day.\r
As my father was getting checked out, bruises we’re coming forth and found out that my father remembered very little, having instant bruise on his foot and ankle, shoulder and an instant headache.\r
Procedures are what are shocking to me… I used to work at The Beach years ago, and every lifeguard had a whistle and a first aid fanny pack. The whistle is your emergency call; we were left without a lifeguard and a whistle for minutes, the emergency was not taken seriously.\r
I am very shocked with how this getting us help in the pool was handled and carried out.\r
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AND YET the GM has yet to respond to my email or phone calls. Real professional.
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