A Royal Caribbean passenger who was injured using a water slide is intending to sue the cruise line, according to his lawyer.
The incident took place on board the Icon of the Seas last Thursday, when the man headed down the ‘Frightening Bolt’.
As he travelled down the slide, an acrylic glass panel on the left side suddenly cracked, creating a hole in its wake.
The man's skin was “sliced through” by the glass, according to his attorney Alex Perez, who told Local10 that the cruise guest was now planning to file a lawsuit in response.
At the time of the initial report it was not clear how serious the passenger’s injuries were but Royal Caribbean confirmed he received medical care.
A video of the incident that was shared on social media showed water gushing from the hole as passengers looked up from below.
Jim Muldoon, who caught the moment on camera, is heard asking, “Did the person fall?” as onlookers rushed to warn anyone else at the top of the slide.
Lillian Destefano, who witnessed the nail-biting incident, said she was thankful the situation was not more serious.
“As I understand it, it was cracked,” she told Local10, referring to the slide. “Like the gentleman that went before him, who just got cut slightly, and then when the other gentleman went down, it sliced him, but he passed it, and then the glass fell and the water gushed. No-one fell through, thank God.”
A Royal Caribbean Group spokesperson told the Local10 in a statement Friday: “Our team provided medical care to an adult guest when acrylic glass broke off a water slide as the guest passed through the slide.” The cruise line said the water slide was closed for the remainder of the trip, pending an investigation.
The cruise travelled to Royal Caribbean’s Coco Cay island before returning to Port Miami on Saturday morning. The Independent contacted Royal Caribbean for comment.
The Icon of the Seas is among the largest cruise ships in the world, with 20 decks, over 2,800 cabins and space for 7,600 guests and 2,350 crew. It also boasts the largest waterpark at sea with six record-breaking slides, the company says.
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