An eight-year-old boy has died after he fell nearly 50 feet upon entering a dismantled waterslide at an amusement park.
The incident took place at the ‘Volcano’ ride at the diRoma Acqua Park in the municipality of Caldas Novas in the west-central Brazilian state of Goias.
The victim has been named as Davi Lucas de Miranda, and he died after falling 13.8 metres (45 feet) after entering the dismantled attraction, which was reportedly undergoing maintenance but had not been properly sealed off from the public.
The ‘Volcano’ attraction is made up of four waterslides that come out of the top of a replica of a volcano, and it was reportedly undergoing maintenance on Sunday afternoon, 13th February.
Three of the slides had reportedly been at least partially dismantled, meaning that sections of the long pipes had been removed, although this was not easily visible at the beginning of the ride.
The young boy reportedly managed to access the ride, which, although fenced off, had its entrance closed off with nothing more than a strip of tape, according to the police.
The young boy reportedly entered the closed attraction despite the ribbon indicating that it was closed, and he climbed up to the beginning of the slides.
He entered one of the slides, which reportedly has a right angle that obstructs the view of the rest of the slide from the person using it.
Only one of the four entrances to the slides was reportedly closed off, and Davi entered one of the slides that was missing parts of its tubes.
The young boy reportedly fell from a height of 13.8 metres before hitting a wooden and metal structure that supports the ride. He then rolled into a pool that was 70 centimetres (28 inches) deep.
He was reportedly rescued alive but later died in hospital.
The young boy had reportedly escaped parental supervision when he moved away from his father and his one-year-old brother to use the bathroom.
He reportedly knew the waterpark well, having already visited it several times.
His distraught family members have claimed the park operator was negligent and they are calling for justice.
Davi Lucas was buried in his family’s hometown of Conselheiro Lafaiete in the south-eastern state of Minas Gerais on Monday.
His grieving mother Jaqueline Rosa was quoted in local media as saying: “My son was a marvellous child, full of plans, a super studious boy. He just wanted to play. But he’s never coming back. It’s hurting a lot.”
The police investigation is ongoing.
