'I was gushing blood': Kenosee waterslide injury leaves young Sask. camper limping
Alex Johnson | CBC News | Posted: July 29, 2017 10:18 PM | Last Updated: July 30, 2017
Warning: this story contains a graphic image of injury
Thirteen-year-old Rylynn Kohli's family camping trip took a turn for the worse after an incident at Kenosee Superslides sent her to the emergency room. The park's owner said the slide which injured her has been repaired and is back in use.
Kohli received seven stitches on Wednesday after a piece of fibreglass lifted off one of the water-slides in Kenosee's water park, located 200 kilometres southeast of Regina.
"I was gushing blood," said Kohli. "I just don't want this to happen to anyone else. This could have been really bad. It could have been my whole leg."
The Regina Beach teen explained she can't work her restaurant job with the injury, and is waiting to hear from the doctor if there is any permanent nerve damage.
The outing was part of the family trip.
What can I say? Someone got hurt on the slides and it was an accident. It happens. Unfortunately we're dealing with 31-year-old slides - Jan Armstrong, general manager of Kenosee Superslides
"I just don't know who would want to take their family there. It's not safe," said the girl's mother, Tracy Kohli, who was present when the incident occured.
The slides' general manager Jan Armstrong said the slide was closed immediately after the incident, and fixed.
"What can I say? Someone got hurt on the slides and it was an accident. It happens. Unfortunately we're dealing with 31-year-old slides," said Armstrong.
He said the park works closely with Saskatchewan Health and Safety to ensure the slides are safe and up to regulation.
The Armstrong family started running the slides five years ago and the general manager said the patch of fibreglass in question was there for a few years before they took over.
"We do a rigorous search of the slides every evening and every morning. Unfortunately this year we've just had so much traffic," he said, noting that park attendance had almost doubled in July alone.
He said the freefall slide has been upgraded along with the hot tub and the park hopes to upgrade other slides in coming years.