The 48-foot waterslide tower is photographed at The Wave, the City of Dublin’s new water park, in Dublin, Calif., on Friday, May 19, 2017. Three of the six slides remained closed on Sunday, May 28, 2017 as park officials assessed their safety after a child was thrown off the “Emerald Plunge” slide the day before. (Doug Duran/Bay Area News Group)
DUBLIN — A third of the six slides at the city’s new $43 million water park, The Wave, was closed Sunday as city and state officials investigate after a boy was launched from a three-story water slide, landing on the concrete exit next to the ride, at the park’s grand opening Saturday.
The slide from which the boy fell, which is called the Emerald Plunge, as well as a similar slide adjacent to it called the Dublin Screamer remained closed on Sunday as staff from the city of Dublin and California’s Division of Occupational Safety and Health Administration try to determine what caused the boy to fly off the slide and assess the safety of all the park’s slides.
Dublin Assistant City Manager Linda Smith said on Sunday that the park closed a third slide, called the Riptide Rider, because staff was re-examining that ride’s water pressure. The park has a total of six slides. Three of them were available for public use on Sunday.
The description of the Riptide Rider slide on the park’s website reads: “Get ready to fly and swirl down seven stories of fun. These slides’ unique designs are fast and thrilling with unexpected steep drops and sharp turns. The translucent flume gives spectators a great view of riders zipping through the slide.”
The 10-year-old boy who was thrown from the Emerald Plunge slide on Saturday was “just shaken up” and had a scratched shoulder that was treated by first-aid workers, a park spokeswoman said after the incident was witnessed and recorded by a Bay Area News Group photographer covering the opening of the park. The photographer saw scratches on the boy’s back. The boy walked away from the incident and was helped by a lifeguard and city employee shortly after noon Saturday.
The Emerald Plunge is an open water slide that plunges at an 80-degree angle before flattening out at the bottom. Park officials said they had contacted slide manufacturer WhiteWater West Industries as well as Cal-OSHA to assess the slide.
Bay Area residents eagerly anticipated the opening of the The Wave, which is located by Dublin’s Emerald Glen Park. The facility also has three pools, a water playground and a 2,000-seat outdoor performing arts center. It is expected to employ nearly 200 seasonal employees and cost about $2.5 million to operate in its first year.
Staff writer Matthias Gafni and staff photographer Jose Carlos Fajardo contributed to this report.
The 48-foot waterslide tower is photographed at The Wave, the City of Dublin’s new water park, in Dublin, Calif., on Friday, May 19, 2017. The water park, located at Emerald Glen Park, will officially open to the public on Memorial Day Weekend. (Doug Duran/Bay Area News Group)
Some of the slides on the 48-foot waterslide tower are photographed at The Wave, the City of Dublin’s new water park, in Dublin, Calif., on Friday, May 19, 2017. The water park, located at Emerald Glen Park, will officially open to the public on Memorial Day Weekend. (Doug Duran/Bay Area News Group)
The 48-foot waterslide tower is photographed at The Wave, the City of Dublin’s new water park, in Dublin, Calif., on Friday, May 19, 2017. The water park, located at Emerald Glen Park, will officially open to the public on Memorial Day Weekend. (Doug Duran/Bay Area News Group)
The 48-foot waterslide tower is photographed at The Wave on Friday, May 19, 2017. The Emerald Plunge (left) and the Dublin Screamer (right) are located at the Wave, which is part of the Emerald Glen Park. (Doug Duran/Bay Area News Group)
The splash pool, designed for young children, is photographed at The Wave, the City of Dublin’s new water park, in Dublin, Calif., on Friday, May 19, 2017. The water park, located at Emerald Glen Park, will officially open to the public on Memorial Day Weekend. (Doug Duran/Bay Area News Group)
(Doug Duran/Bay Area News Group)
Ian Porandla, 2, of Dublin, plays in the splash pool at The Wave, the City of Dublin’s new water park, in Dublin, Calif., on Friday, May 19, 2017. The water park, located at Emerald Glen Park, will officially open to the public on Memorial Day Weekend. (Doug Duran/Bay Area News Group)
A large crowd attend the ribbon cutting ceremony for The Wave, the City of Dublin’s new water park, in Dublin, Calif., on Friday, May 19, 2017. The water park, located at Emerald Glen Park, will officially open to the public on Memorial Day Weekend. (Doug Duran/Bay Area News Group)
The Wave, the City of Dublin’s new water park, is photographed in Dublin, Calif., on Friday, May 19, 2017. The water park, located at Emerald Glen Park, will officially open to the public on Memorial Day weekend. (Doug Duran/Bay Area News Group)
The Wave, the City of Dublin’s new water park, is photographed in Dublin, Calif., on Friday, May 19, 2017. The water park, located at Emerald Glen Park, will officially open to the public on Memorial Day weekend. (Doug Duran/Bay Area News Group)
The Wave’s sports pool, designed for competitive swimming and water polo, is photographed in Dublin, Calif., on Friday, May 19, 2017. The water park, located at Emerald Glen Park, will officially open to the public on Memorial Day Weekend. (Doug Duran/Bay Area News Group)
The Wave, the City of Dublin’s new water park, is photographed in Dublin, Calif., on Friday, May 19, 2017. The water park, located at Emerald Glen Park, will officially open to the public on Memorial Day weekend. (Doug Duran/Bay Area News Group)
(Doug Duran/Bay Area News Group)
The indoor pool, designed for year round swimming, is photographed at The Wave, the City of Dublin’s new water park, in Dublin, Calif., on Friday, May 19, 2017. The water park, located at Emerald Glen Park, will officially open to the public on Memorial Day Weekend. (Doug Duran/Bay Area News Group)
One of the large windows at The Wave’s indoor pool is photographed in Dublin, Calif., on Friday, May 19, 2017. The water park, located at Emerald Glen Park, will officially open to the public on Memorial Day Weekend. (Doug Duran/Bay Area News Group)
People are silhouetted as they enter the indoor pool at The Wave, the City of Dublin’s new water park, in Dublin, Calif., on Friday, May 19, 2017. The water park, located at Emerald Glen Park, will officially open to the public on Memorial Day Weekend. (Doug Duran/Bay Area News Group)
Some of the slides on the 48-foot waterslide tower are photographed at The Wave, the City of Dublin’s new water park, in Dublin, Calif., on Friday, May 19, 2017. The water park, located at Emerald Glen Park, will officially open to the public on Memorial Day Weekend. (Doug Duran/Bay Area News Group)
The splash pool, designed for young children, is photographed at The Wave, the City of Dublin’s new water park, in Dublin, Calif., on Friday, May 19, 2017. The water park, located at Emerald Glen Park, will officially open to the public on Memorial Day Weekend. (Doug Duran/Bay Area News Group)
Some of the slides on the 48-foot waterslide tower are photographed at The Wave, the City of Dublin’s new water park, in Dublin, Calif., on Friday, May 19, 2017. The water park, located at Emerald Glen Park, will officially open to the public on Memorial Day Weekend. (Doug Duran/Bay Area News Group)
Nick Steffer, of Dublin, watches his daughter Marlo, 2, as she touches the water at the indoor pool at The Wave, the City of Dublin’s new water park, in Dublin, Calif., on Friday, May 19, 2017. The water park, located at Emerald Glen Park, will officially open to the public on Memorial Day Weekend. (Doug Duran/Bay Area News Group)
The 48-foot waterslide tower is photographed at The Wave, the City of Dublin’s new water park, in Dublin, Calif., on Friday, May 19, 2017. The water park, located at Emerald Glen Park, will officially open to the public on Memorial Day Weekend. (Doug Duran/Bay Area News Group)
Some of the slides on the 48-foot waterslide tower are photographed at The Wave, the City of Dublin’s new water park, in Dublin, Calif., on Friday, May 19, 2017. The water park, located at Emerald Glen Park, will officially open to the public on Memorial Day Weekend. (Doug Duran/Bay Area News Group)
Dublin Mayor David Haubert talks to the large crowd attending the ribbon cutting ceremony for The Wave, the City of Dublin’s new water park, in Dublin, Calif., on Friday, May 19, 2017. The water park, located at Emerald Glen Park, will officially open to the public on Memorial Day Weekend. (Doug Duran/Bay Area News Group)
The Wave, the City of Dublin’s new water park, is photographed in Dublin, Calif., on Friday, May 19, 2017. The water park, located at Emerald Glen Park, will officially open to the public on Memorial Day weekend. (Doug Duran/Bay Area News Group)
DUBLIN — A third of the six slides at the city’s new $43 million water park, The Wave, was closed Sunday as city and state officials investigate after a boy was launched from a three-story water slide, landing on the concrete exit next to the ride, at the park’s grand opening Saturday.
The description of the Riptide Rider slide on the park’s website reads: “Get ready to fly and swirl down seven stories of fun. These slides’ unique designs are fast and thrilling with unexpected steep drops and sharp turns. The translucent flume gives spectators a great view of riders zipping through the slide.”
