Report: Lake Winnie not at fault in waterslide injury

ROSSVILLE, Ga. (WDEF) — The state of Georgia completed their investigation into the child injury at Lake Winnepesaukah on July 4. The report explains that Lake Winnie was not at fault.

The 5-year-old was riding the double tube on the Twist N Shout slide with his father when he fell off the tube, out of the flume and onto the ground.

Direction of child ejection from waterslide, (Courtesy: Office of Commissioner of Insurance and Safety Fire)

The investigation, from Georgia’s Office of Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner, concluded the waterslide was in normal operating condition.

The report suggested that the child or his father may have not followed the slide rules, resulting in the incident.

Waterslide operators instruct riders to keep their bottoms in the center of the tubes and hold onto the handles for the entire ride. With two riders, the larger rider sits in the back and should wrap their legs around the smaller rider’s body.

However, the report suggested the child may have taken his hands off the tube’s handles. And the child’s father may not have had his legs tightly around the child’s body, resulting in the child being ejected.

Tubes used in Twist N Shout Waterslide (Courtesy: Commissioner of Insurance and Safety Fire)

The original 911 call claimed the child fell 15 to 20 feet from the waterslide. However, this report suggests the child fell while nearing the end of the slide. Meaning he fell that distance more horizontally and not vertically.

Trajectory of child ejection from waterslide, (Courtesy: Office of Commissioner of Insurance and Safety Fire)

Photos released from the state show which way the child came out of the waterslide and landed. The report says he was ejected from the tube in the middle of the last 180-degree turn.

From there, the child landed on rocks and hit his head, according to the report.

Where the child landed and rolled, (Courtesy: Office of Commissioner of Insurance and Safety Fire)

The report did not mention if the father met the weight requirements. But it did say the child met the height requirement of 42 inches.

It added that the child had gone down the slide multiple times, with both his mom and dad.

The park installed the waterslide in 2013, and it has been active since May of 2014. Waterflow amount was not at fault, since it is preset by the manufacturer and cannot be adjusted, the report said.

The accident report explained that the child had a laceration on his leg and a suspected broken arm. We still do not know the current condition of the child.

Trajectory of child exiting slide (Courtesy: Office of Commissioner of Insurance and Safety Fire)