Water slide in Hua Hin goes wrong

[webfact]

Water Slide Goes Wrong
By Sasiwan Mokkhasen
Staff Reporter


Pantip User No. 2782534 documented Tuesday the point of peril he experienced at a Hua Hin water park Image: User No. 2782534 / Pantip

HUA HIN — A water park adventure became too thrilling for tourists stuck in the nation’s biggest water slide Tuesday in Hua Hin.

A visitor of Vana Nava Hua Hin took to Pantip last night to document the watery misadventure he suffered Saturday with three friends on a ride called the “Abyss.” Prior to being jettisoned into an enormous funnel, their raft got stuck in a tube due to suction from a pipe. After two hopeless minutes shouting for help, they were rammed and pushed out into the funnel by another raft carrying two ladies.

“I was on the curve of the falling abyss,” the unnamed user wrote, floridly. “My raft fell down in the strong momentum, which almost made me and my friends slip over the slide.”

The park’s management blamed the incident on a negligent employee.

Full story: http://www.khaosodenglish.com/detail.php?newsid=1448454070


-- Khaosod English 2015-11-26

[trogers]

No Fail-safe from negligence?

[harrycallahan]

I don't get it, is that a large cone thing they slide into?

[stoneyboy]

I don't get it, is that a large cone thing they slide into?

No that's the bottomless hole previous and current politicians suck money through.

[WinnieTheKhwai]

I don't get it, is that a large cone thing they slide into?

Yes it is; I've done that exact slide.

Seems a little silly to complain about it.. it's a playground, they got stuck a litle: big deal.

People get stuck in the other slides all the time when speed isn't sufficient, then staff help them out. The negligence here I guess would be to send down the next raft without checking that they came out alright.

It's pretty fun actually; the scariest slide by far is the 'free fall' water slide that goes almost straight down.

[jacko45k]

Negligent employee fired and another one hired!

[AngelHeather]

Another epic failure .... LOL

[reptile91602]

Another non news story revealed. Just don't list it if it is meaninless.

[ratchaburi]

This bit the OP neglected to add

Vana Nava today issued a statement that it fired the responsible employee. It claimed the staff member neglected to follow its rules, which require monitoring a CCTV camera inside the funnel and communicating with lifeguards under the slide before letting a new raft float.

“The incident happened because of the carelessness of the staff who control the traffic of the water rafts,” read the statement.

The attraction, called “Abyss,” is purported to be the largest water slide in Thailand and reaches speeds of up to 45kph in a huge water tube.

The company claimed their design and operation is up to international standards.

http://www.khaosodenglish.com/detail.php?newsid=1448454070&typecate=06&section=

[Srikcir]

I don't get it, is that a large cone thing they slide into?

Yes it is; I've done that exact slide.

Seems a little silly to complain about it.. it's a playground, they got stuck a litle: big deal.

People get stuck in the other slides all the time when speed isn't sufficient, then staff help them out. The negligence here I guess would be to send down the next raft without checking that they came out alright.

It's pretty fun actually; the scariest slide by far is the 'free fall' water slide that goes almost straight down.

This situation is not just an employee problem. It may also be a design flaw.

"almost made me and my friends slip over the slide"

Seems to be an unsafe feature if one can potentially tumble out of the tube and over the side before entering the funnel. There should be a half shell sleeve extension from the end of the tunnel into the funnel to redirect a rider if coming out of the tunnel in the wrong direction.

[bangon04]

"The park’s management blamed the incident on a negligent employee."

Well that's ok then. We are all reassured.

[elgordo38]

Negligent employee fired and another one hired!

Lots to choose from take your pick. You can maybe even pinch his wages by a few baht. A winner all the way free publicity and a lower paid worker replacement. Win win.

[TPI]

This bit the OP neglected to add

Vana Nava today issued a statement that it fired the responsible employee. It claimed the staff member neglected to follow its rules, which require monitoring a CCTV camera inside the funnel and communicating with lifeguards under the slide before letting a new raft float.

“The incident happened because of the carelessness of the staff who control the traffic of the water rafts,” read the statement.

The attraction, called “Abyss,” is purported to be the largest water slide in Thailand and reaches speeds of up to 45kph in a huge water tube.

The company claimed their design and operation is up to international standards.

http://www.khaosodenglish.com/detail.php?newsid=1448454070&typecate=06&section=

My God! Clarification that can be believed!!!

[Siamwhiteelephant]

The raft riders were sucked in as they headed toward the Abyss, much like elements in this society, as the staff sucked into safety overrides, shrugging off of “mai bpen rai” while funnelling downwards into the Abyss.

[sanukjim]

As in most entertainment type rides in LOS the safety is not like it is in most of the rest of the world.When you add danger to a ride to make it more thrilling(which is always normal anyplace) just look around at the rest of the country and ask your self "If the contractors are allowed to build and maintain their buildings and roads like they do,then what is the true danger of this ride being maintained in a safe condition.Ask a couple of Chinese about the zip lines here in LOS.

[Dap]

This bit the OP neglected to add

Vana Nava today issued a statement that it fired the responsible employee. It claimed the staff member neglected to follow its rules, which require monitoring a CCTV camera inside the funnel and communicating with lifeguards under the slide before letting a new raft float.

“The incident happened because of the carelessness of the staff who control the traffic of the water rafts,” read the statement.

The attraction, called “Abyss,” is purported to be the largest water slide in Thailand and reaches speeds of up to 45kph in a huge water tube.

The company claimed their design and operation is up to international standards.

http://www.khaosodenglish.com/detail.php?newsid=1448454070&typecate=06&section=

"The company claimed their design and operation is up to "international standards."

So are they trying to say it's the "international standards" that are weak?

[HHTel]

As in most entertainment type rides in LOS the safety is not like it is in most of the rest of the world.When you add danger to a ride to make it more thrilling(which is always normal anyplace) just look around at the rest of the country and ask your self "If the contractors are allowed to build and maintain their buildings and roads like they do,then what is the true danger of this ride being maintained in a safe condition.Ask a couple of Chinese about the zip lines here in LOS.

Research before opening your mouth. Vana Nava was designed by American/Canadian engineers with years of experience. No Thai involvement in regards to the design and building of it. The Manager is a foreigner with over 30 years of experience in water parks around the world. No skimping in the safety of this park. BUT at the end of the day, trust has to lie with the individual responsible for a particular function. In this case, a Thai who didn't follow the rules. (probably too busy on facebook).

[mikiea]

I don't get it, is that a large cone thing they slide into?

huh... you do not get it ? ehhhh..... you need to get out more .

[cockatoowho]

Just a (one) negligent employee, in Thailand! Come on now, that's a bit hard to swallow.

[choff56]

Inactive employee moved to active post.

[kartman]

As in most entertainment type rides in LOS the safety is not like it is in most of the rest of the world.When you add danger to a ride to make it more thrilling(which is always normal anyplace) just look around at the rest of the country and ask your self "If the contractors are allowed to build and maintain their buildings and roads like they do,then what is the true danger of this ride being maintained in a safe condition.Ask a couple of Chinese about the zip lines here in LOS.

Research before opening your mouth. Vana Nava was designed by American/Canadian engineers with years of experience. No Thai involvement in regards to the design and building of it. The Manager is a foreigner with over 30 years of experience in water parks around the world. No skimping in the safety of this park. BUT at the end of the day, trust has to lie with the individual responsible for a particular function. In this case, a Thai who didn't follow the rules. (probably too busy on facebook).

Similar to the Alton Towers Smiler ride accident apart from the Thai and Facebook

[waldroj]

Elsewhere (http://news.thaivisa.com/thailand/thailand-set-to-gain-from-adventure-tourism-event/123683/), we are being told that Thailand plans to attract more Adventure Tourists. Let’s hope these tourists get advanced warning of the risks they will be taking!

Add this one to the growing list of incidents (including death and injury by mis-adventure) where foreign tourists and locals have become victims of attraction-operator’s blatant disregard for proper safety standards and duty of care.

Not surprisingly, in this example, “the park’s management blamed the incident on a negligent employee”.

If Thailand’s Minister of Tourism and Sports, and TAT, were to devout as much attention to the enforcing the safety standards of tourist attractions in this country as they do trying to save face over the ICAO and FAA downgrades (see http://www.tatnews.org/thai-tourism-industry-addresses-travellers-concerns-over-aviation-safety-standards/), incidents like this one and recent zip-line and scuba deaths may have been avoided.

See also:

http://www.khaosodenglish.com/detail.php?newsid=1444734610

http://www.thephuketnews.com/patong-dive-tour-operator-surfaces-in-chinese-tourist-dive-death-55201.php

[ItDontMeanAThing]

Seems a little silly to complain about it.. it's a playground, they got stuck a litle: big deal.

Try rereading the OP. Getting stuck caused the collision with the next raft which almost caused them being ejected from the ride. It's silly to think they were complaining about getting stuck.

[Myran]

I went to this water park a month or so ago with a friend and was very impressed by its professional quality and staff. At this particular ride the staff were very diligent in weighting all groups who were going down the slide to make sure they were within the limits, and seemed to have good contact with the staff on the ground. They also made sure that everyone was sitting correctly and holding on to the handles. Simply put, if you go down the slide the way they show you, there's no risk of falling out. I have a hard time believing that they got stuck because of some "suction from a pipe". The big tube you're going down in weighs quite a bit and gets decent speed before the drop. More likely is that the occupants were up to some kind of shenanigans. Of course, the staff were wrong in sending down another tube when the first didn't reach the bottom, but that seems to have been taken care of by firing this individual. Another slide was instantly shut down the moment the staff at the top lost the video feed from the end of the ride.

All in all, Vana Nava is easily the most professional attraction I've visited in Thailand and I will definitely visit it again.