Visitors to an amusement park looked on in horror to see a five-year-old ‘fly out’ of a water slide and fall over 15 feet.
The boy was treated for his injuries before being rushed to a nearby children’s hospital.
The child was riding a double tube at the Lake Winnepesaukah amusement park, near the Georgia-Tennessee border, when the incident happened.
One witness said she saw the boy ‘fly out’ the slide before falling 15 to 20 feet.
John Pless, a spokesman for Catoosa County, where the park is located, confirmed the incident.
Another witness, Ginger Bence, saw the shocking incident unfold. She said: ‘I don’t think I’ll ever forget it. I thought, “Is he alive?’”
She said she heard several employees blow whistles, which she assumed was part of a safety protocol when someone is hurt.
The boy was seen lying unconscious and was ‘in so much pain’.
The child was treated at the scene and taken to the Children’s Hospital at Erlanger in Chattanooga, Tennessee.
Emergency service dispatchers said the boy was ‘complaining of pain all over.’
He had cuts to the leg and back pain, according to WJCL.
Mr Pless said the condition and extent of injuries to the child was unknown.
The Georgia Office of Commissioner of Insurance and Safety Fire was called in to investigate the safety of the ride.
‘We have an inspector on the scene there today, but it is too early in our investigation to release any preliminary findings,’ an agency spokesperson said.
‘We will most likely release a final report in the next few days.’
Inspectors looked at the Twist-N-Shout water ride, including the rider tubes, the ride foundation, and signage and reopened it.
‘Lake Winnepesaukah is a family amusement park that prides itself on a safe, welcome atmosphere,’ the park said.
