Summer Tragedy As Toddler Dies On Water Slide
Each summer, articles arrive about keeping kids safe in or near water. Unfortunately, a death of another toddler arrived this week. While it didn’t happen stateside, perhaps there’s a lesson for parents everywhere to take note of the tragic event.
Death On A Water Slide
Everywhere in the world, it seems that summer brings opportunities for families to get out and about. And, a favorite destination seems to be water parks. The Busby family from OutDaughtered on TLC springs to mind immediately. Fortunately, nothing bad happened to the quints, but another father is now mourning the death of his child.
Like so many others, the dad who hails from Germany visited a water park, something he is likely to regret for the rest of his life. According to The Sun US, the family went to a popular attraction in Croatia, and there, despite having a great safety record, his little girl died.
The outlet reported that he was with his child on the slide when she somehow separated from him and “fell from a height of about three and a half meters onto a concrete floor.” Apparently, a medical professional who happened to be there managed to resuscitate the 21-month-old, and EMTs transferred her to a hospital. Unfortunately, they were unable to save her life.
Witnesses Didn’t See The Fall?
The outlet talked about people who witnessed the tragedy, but it seems that none of them actually saw the child fall out of the slide. One of them said that they heard the father shouting, and then saw him pick up the child.
The owners of the park are not saying much, but “Local cops, the Primorje-Gorski Kotar Police Department, said they are working with all relevant parties to establish a cause of death.”
Local authorities claimed it was the first such incident on the slide that has been open to the public for several decades.
How Safe Are Big Slides For Toddlers?
There doesn’t seem to be a universal age limit on little kids using the slides at water parks. However, Stateside, most resorts impose their own rules on age and weight, and parental supervision. And, those might be displayed near the slide itself.
According to AP News, the death of a 10-year-old on the water slide at Schlitterbahn Kansas City saw improved safety requirements in the state. However, statistics are quite old and refer to about 4000 injuries every year.
Perhaps the best option is to think about the possibilities that a toddler might easily slip out of the arms of an adult, and potentially be injured or worse.
Any death is a tragedy, especially when a family is enjoying a summer vacation, and parental decision-making can be vital to the family all arriving safely home afterward. Let us know your thoughts in the comments below, and come back here often for all your parenting news and updates.
