A Royal Caribbean passenger has been ‘sliced open’ after a waterslide broke while he was going down it, with the cruise liner having now issued a response to the horror that unfolded on its vessel.
The man was vacationing on the Icon of the Seas cruise ship when the horror accident occurred while at sea between Miami and the firm’s private island, Perfect Day at CocoCay, on Thursday (August 7).
The passenger was sliding down the ‘frightening bolt’ slide when a section of it cracked and created a jagged edge, with the man believed to have sustained lacerations to his back and legs.
Footage that has since been uploaded to social media depicts water gushing out of the slide where the crack is, while another recording shows the immediate aftermath of the incident, with the words ‘oh my God‘ echoing around the boat.
Others could also be heard urging people not to go down the slide, with people screaming: “Stop the slide!”
Meanwhile, in another video, an Icon of the Seas passenger said the slide was on the 16th floor of the cruise ship. Zooming in on the damaged slide, it was clear there was a large hole in it.
Now, Royal Caribbean has responded to the incident that took place on the world’s biggest cruise ship.
“The slide remained closed for the rest of the voyage while engineers assessed the damage,” it said in a statement.
“The company has not provided a timeline for reopening and is investigating whether the failure was due to a manufacturing defect, installation issue, or an unexpected impact.
“Other pools and water attractions on board remained open, but passengers noted an increase in visible safety checks across the ship in the days following the incident.”
The passenger was going down one of the Royal Caribbean’s Icon of the Seas’ waterslides when the horror unfolded (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
Meanwhile, in an additional comment to UNILAD a Royal Caribbean spokesperson added: “The health and safety of our guests, crew, and the communities we visit are our top priority.
“To maintain an environment that supports the highest levels of health and safety onboard our ships, we implement rigorous cleaning procedures, many of which far exceed public health guidelines.”
While in an earlier statement, the cruise liner addressed the incident and confirmed that it was a man who was injured, before adding that its team team ‘provided medical care’ to the guest after ‘acrylic glass broke off a water slide as the guest passed through the slide’.
“The water slide is closed for the remainder of the sailing pending an investigation.”
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