Evan Davis, a consultant spinal surgeon from University Hospital Southampton, urges holidaymakers to take caution when attending water parks abroad, as they may not prioritise warning signs.
A recent case of a British man left seriously injured after breaking his neck, when sliding down a waterslide whilst on holiday in Benidorm, has sparked questions on how safe waterparks abroad can be. Waterpark regulations may vary from destination, and warning signs such as ‘shallow water’ may not be as visible as they should be.
Dr Davis stated that “[his] message would be to remember that health warnings won’t be high on the agenda at many holiday attractions and destinations, and in many countries regulations and monitoring can vary greatly”
The spinal surgeon explained that the amount of waterpark injuries that he operates on is concerning, stating that rarely a year goes by where he does not treat the consequences of shallow diving.
Given that there could be confusion on waterpark regulations abroad, Evan advised holidaymakers to “carry out a quick assessment of your own when visiting attractions such as waterparks and, if you have doubts about safety, avoid it”.
That’s really not helpful, the article would be more useful if it gave holidaymakers more guidance on how shallow is shallow and how to make that quick assessment