A PASSENGER was “sliced open” when a waterside shattered onboard an enormous cruise ship.
A section of slide in the Icon of the Seas’ record-breaking waterpark burst just as a child was shooting down it, according to eyewitness accounts.
X / @jimmuldoonWater was left spurting out of the slide[/caption]
A sharp hole could be seen in the side of the slideX / @SauniR6
GettyThe accident happened on Royal Caribbean’s Icon of the Seas[/caption]
One passenger reported that the kid’s “leg and back were cut open pretty bad” by the dangerous malfunction on Thursday.
Footage shows water cascading from the slide down onto the deck.
And a photo taken after the water stopped reveals a jagged hole cut out from one of the panels.
The casualty’s exact condition is unknown.
Icon of the Seas, operated by Royal Caribbean, is currently en route to Coco Cay, Bahamas, having departed from the Virgin Islands on Wednesday.
Its waterslides are made of glass-fibre-reinforced plastic, according to Wiegand Waterrides.
In a statement, the cruise ship said: “Our team provided medical care to an adult guest when acrylic glass broke off a water slide as the guest passed through the slide.
“The guest is being treated for his injuries. The water slide is closed for the remainder of the sailing pending an investigation.”
The Icon of the Seas is a colossal cruise ship with the world’s largest at-sea waterpark, called Thrill Island.
It features six massive slides, including the Frightening Bolt, Pressure Drop, Storm Chasers, Hurricane Hunter and Storm Surge.
Frightening Bolt is the most famous, with the highest drop at sea, 46 feet, a dramatic trapdoor launch, and a full 360° loop.
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GettyIcon of the Seas boasts the world’s largest at-sea waterpark[/caption] Published: [#item_custom_pubDate]
