The Slip 'N Slide Collection
(Recalled 1993)
For anyone older than 18 who grew up with a backyard, a hill and a hose, a Slip 'N Slide on a hot summer day in the was the next best thing to a pool. But headfirst dives down the slick polyethylene strips seldom went without incident. On a hot Alabama afternoon some years ago, this writer's cousin broke his arm on one of those mustard-colored contraptions.
The Slip 'N Slide and its brethren (the Slip 'N Splash, White Water Rapids and Wet Banana) sold more than nine million units from 1961 through 1992. The product is intended for children, not adults. According to the 1993 recall, "Because of their weight and height, adults and teenagers who dive onto the water slide may hit and abruptly stop in such a way that could cause permanent spinal cord injury, resulting in quadriplegia or paraplegia. The slider's forward momentum drives the body into the neck and compresses the spinal cord."
Seven adults and a 13-year-old suffered neck injuries or paralysis as a result of using the slides. Given the irregularities in most yards' turf and the general danger in sliding headfirst down a hill, the injuries aren't all that surprising. We've previously witnessed the perilous spectacle of five amusement park rides that pushed the limits of common sense--and unlike a slide set up in 5 minutes on a Saturday, those rides were supposedly designed by engineers
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yl4hUHGXfIs