Passenger of the Royal Caribbean cruise ship sustains injury following collapse of the water slide
Just two weeks before the Icon of the Seas was due to return to Miami on Aug. 9, a tragic incident occurred on the ship as it sailed near the Bahamas. A section of the acrylic glass tubing of the 46-foot-tall Frightening Bolt waterslide shattered mid-ride, injuring a passenger inside the slide.
The 28-year-old female crew member from South Africa was stabbed multiple times by a 35-year-old male crew member, also from South Africa, during the chaos that ensued. The female victim sustained stab wounds to her upper body and is currently in stable condition. The suspect reportedly fled the scene and jumped into the water from the ship, where he was retrieved unresponsive by rescue team members and later pronounced dead by onboard medical staff.
The incident took place while a guest was going down the slide. Many passengers began shouting, "Stop the slide! Stop the slide!", as water poured onto the deck due to a falling panel that sent a burst of water into a public area of the ship. The guest who was on the ride when the incident occurred received medical attention and is currently in stable condition.
Royal Caribbean immediately closed the slide for the remainder of the sailing pending a thorough investigation. The cruise line provided prompt medical care to the injured passenger and secured the damaged area using tarps and ropes to prevent further risk. Other waterslides on the ship remained open and operational.
The exact cause of the break has not been confirmed publicly, but the damage appeared near a stress point on the slide, suggesting a structural failure in the acrylic glass tubing. Videos and eyewitness reports documented the moment the panel shattered during the ride.
The incident has raised concerns about the structural integrity and safety of high, transparent acrylic waterslides on cruise ships. A passenger injured in the incident is planning to file a lawsuit against Royal Caribbean, which may lead to increased scrutiny and possible revisions in materials, design standards, or inspection protocols for water slides on cruise ships.
Royal Caribbean is likely to conduct extensive safety reviews and may update its safety measures and design criteria to prevent such failures in the future. The incident highlights the risks associated with large acrylic waterslides at sea and is prompting both immediate safety actions and potential longer-term changes in cruise ship water slide safety regulations and engineering.
- The incident on the Icon of the Seas, involving the shattered acrylic glass tubing of the Frightening Bolt waterslide, has led to a passenger planning to file a lawsuit against Royal Caribbean, potentially causing increased scrutiny and possible revisions in materials, design standards, or inspection protocols for sports equipment on cruise ships.
- Amidst the general news of the shattered waterslide on the Icon of the Seeds, there have been reports of accidents related to large, transparent acrylic structures on cruise ships, prompting concerns about their structural integrity and safety, and possibly leading to revisions in regulations and engineering.
