It was meant to be a day of fun with her family at Wild Wild Wet, but a 50-year-old woman ended up fracturing her tailbone after taking one of the water slides there, and had to be sent to the hospital in an ambulance.
Li (transliteration from Chinese), 50, told Shin Min Daily News (Shin Min) that the incident took place when her family of four visited the water theme park located at Downtown East, on Aug. 21.
The ride in question was "Slide Up", a four-storey ramp slide in the shape of a half-pipe, where up to two riders sitting on a float are released from the top of the slide.
Here's a first-person POV of a rider going on the slide, for reference:
Injured on second time taking the ride
According to Li, it was the second time that day she was taking the ride with her son.
The first go was without incident, but her son wanted to take the slide again.
Li agreed and they went up for a second go.
This time, however, she felt an intense pain shoot through her back when their float reached the bottom of the slide.
She shouted a few times because of the pain, but the float did not stop immediately, sliding back and forth on the half-pipe for some time before she could get off.
"When I got off the float, I was in so much pain that I couldn't stand properly, so my son needed to support me as we walked," Li related.
Pain worsened, sent to hospital
Li initially thought it was a minor injury, and tried to ease the pain by taking the more leisurely Lazy River ride.
However, it flared up to the point that she was in tears.
One of the lifeguards at the theme park noticed her distress and called for the assistance of a medic.
The medic helped to spray the injured area with a pain-relieving spray, before calling an ambulance for Li, which arrived at about 3.50pm.
Li was then admitted to the hospital, still in her bathing suit.
At that point, she said she was shivering and was afraid she might be paralysed.
Pain from tailbone fracture affected sleep
Subsequently, Li was diagnosed with a coccyx (tailbone) fracture.
She was advised to rest for two weeks, and refrain from lifting heavy objects or exerting too much force.
However, she complained that the pain affected her sleep, and she kept tossing and turning at night.
Apart from taking the prescribed painkillers, Li has also sought Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) treatments such as acupuncture to improve her sleep.
Hopes management can provide a proper explanation
Li said she is unsure how she got injured the second time taking the ride, since she was fine after the first go.
"I hope that the management can do a proper investigation on the matter, provide us a satisfactory explanation and prevent similar incidents from happening in the future," she told Shin Min.
Internal investigations are being conducted: Wild Wild Wet
In response to Mothership's queries, a spokesperson from Wild Wild Wet confirmed that they are aware of the incident, and said that they "have provided the necessary assistance" to the customer, from the moment a Wild Wild Wet lifeguard observed her sitting on a bench, appearing to be in distress.
Additionally, the spokesperson stated that the park's Guest Services staff was present at the hospital to check in on the customer.
"The park is currently conducting internal investigations, and has been in contact with the insurer who will conduct a third-party assessment on the matter," the spokesperson added.
Wild Wild Wet also highlighted that the park has safety rules and regulations in place, and there are printed advisories onsite about the nature of the rides at the park.
Top image from Wild Wild Wet website (for illustration) / Shin Min Daily News.