Did anyone see this? It's making national news. I'm not sure how many of you have ever seen these Water Gardens but they were used in the sci-fi movie "Logan's Run". It kind of amazes and shocks me that 4 people, including an adult, died there yesterday. Apparently, one child either tried to go swimming or fell in. The others tried to rescue the child. All of them apparently couldn't fight the suction from the pump that powers the water falls, etc. . So, they must have all been sucked underwater and drown. Click here for the story. What a lousy way to die. I guess their going to have to put up protective rails now or something. I wouldn't have figured it would be so easy to drown at those gardens. I guess if you don't know how to escape the suction of the pump then you are in trouble regardless of age. It's a tragedy in such a peaceful place. Surf
Sent a chill down my spine. I have an 8yr old girl too and we are going to Forth Worth tomorrow! Planned to visit the FW Zoo and Botanic garden. That is a different garden, isn't it?
Yes, this is different than the botanic gardens. These water gardens are near the FW coliseum in downtown. It's a shame this happened and it is closed for now due to the investigation. It's a nice place to visit for the tranquil experience. I'm kind of surprised that if this happened yesterday...that there have been no other incidents in all the years it has been around.
I was a Landscape Architect and I lived in Ft.Worth back when the Water Garden opened. I could not believe the City would have let that 'Lawsuit-in-Waiting' be built. Frankly, I'm surprised it hasn't happened before. Sharp edges, wet concrete, no barriers, danererous steps ,water just inviting children to play...just a bad bad design.
I was reading over at Star-Telegram's website that the original designer wanted to design an "element of danger" into the water gardens to increase the appeal. I'm not sure everyone can see this image but here is where it happened(picture from the Star-Telegram site):
It is dangerous, but people also want to sue becasue there are not enough "be carefull" signs around the Grand Canyon.
I saw this last night and it was very sad...I read about in in the paper this morning and my prayers are with them...
I dunno...one of the articles interviewed a guy(not sure if by-stander or rescuer) that implied that while a child may not be able to escape the suction...that an adult probably should be able to. Then again...he may have been talking out of his arse since he wasn't in the pool. How would he know? The adult who died may have just been too occupied with saving the other children to do what is necessary to save himself. I think that, in that intense moment of panic with all the things going on in the pool, it's not really the same as one adult falling in the pool and dealing with the suction. Maybe if you let the suction bring you down to the bottom and then you launch yourself from the bottom using your legs and swim as hard as you can to one of the sides of the pool...that might work. Let me try it and I'll let you know...or not. What I can't figure out is how they were not able to recusitate any of them with mouth-to-mouth or whatever? I mean...it doesn't seem like they were drowned for that long before being pulled out and worked on. Very sad.
well the grand canyon is natural...this was DESIGNED with the element of danger. further no one knows if the girl slipped in or jumped in. either way...its not like this was a grown adult who blatantly disobeyed the signs. it was a kid who got sucked down there and then it was just a terrible chain of events of people trying to save one person after another.
i'm not a plaintiff's attorney....but i'm thinking if you design something to be dangerous that is in and of itself an invitation to be visited...then you've got a problem.
Other than the other deaths, of course, which were unrelated to the water. Two IRS agents were killed by a falling tower there in 1991. Apparently there have been several accidents around the water itself, but no water-related deaths until now.
