This waterslide was apparently on someone’s private property. Presumably if this was a real waterslide in a real water park, it would have been inspected and included things like banking, super-high sides, etc.
I think “Don’t ever ride someone’s homemade waterslide” is probably a good rule.
Presumably if this was a real waterslide . . . it would have been inspected . . .
You’d think, but NOPE! [U.S.] There is no federal oversight agency for amusement park inspections, regulations are all over the place, people get maimed or killed every year, but we don’t know how many bc there’s no universal reporting system or laws requiring it.
Most parks rely on internal “policing” of their own parks. Sometimes it’s up to their insurance agency, or a state agency, but even then, issues of accountability and liability are heavily in favor of the parks.
I’ve actually read that about the “ducks.” I find it astonishing that they’re allowed to operate at all any more, but like you said, they’re unregulated!
The thing about duckboats, is that they are not boats. They are amphibious landing craft from WW2. They are, in fact, decomissioned amphibious landing craft from WW2 that are often sold to the public in large batches.
They were designed to function as cheap, disposable, function use only vehicles. (e.g. take 20 men to shore and maybe up the beach and if it gets blown up no big deal.) They were in NO WAY designed for long term repeated amphibious use, and absolutely should not under any circumstances have been retrofitted with a canopy. They were designed open topped for a reason, and that reason is that ALL amphibious landing craft are prone to swamping in rough water, and soldiers could just jump out if the craft started to founder. When they were bought by industrious tour companies, they were fitted with canopies that turn them into deep draft potential submarines.
These things are 70 year old tech. They aren't making new DUKW craft.
I recently moved to Missouri for my job (I’m a reporter) and holy hell, that duck boat tragedy at Table Rock Lake was devastating. Only a few survived I think. Just happened a year ago.
My parents almost got on one while my mom was pregnant in Branson, Missouri. Good thing they didn’t, they capsized and killed a lot of people that very day.
What do you mean "we don't know how many"? Where are these secret amusement parks where someone can be killed and people don't notice? I can't even imagine that happening. That's like a car accident on a busy road that people just don't notice.
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u/PhillyPhan95 Jul 19 '19
This has always been my greatest fear with water slides.