Tube slide at West Chester’s Splash Park closed ‘until further notice’

Credit: Journal News

The tube slide at the Splash Park in West Chester Twp. is being shut down “until further notice,” township administrators said.

West Chester Twp. issued a statement on Facebook: “We received a couple of calls (Friday, June 26) from concerned parents about the operation of the tube slide, so it will be closed until further notice to allow for additional inspection and testing of the equipment.”

Officials said this also means the central play equipment will not have running water, though children can still access other slides at this time. The rest of the Splash Park will remain open at this time.

“We don’t know when it will reopen because we haven’t identified what issues there are,” said township spokeswoman Brianna Wooten.

On Friday, the township received multiple reports about children being injured, which prompted the closure of the Splash Park water feature. Wooten said township leaders hoped to have been able to just shut off the water to the slide, but that was not possible.

The park has become very popular, receiving upwards of 800 to 1,000 visitors a day based on cellphone pings. Wooten said it’s likely that it could be closer to 1,600 or more a day.

In addition to the complaints the township received directly, there have been others in social media.

One person posted she saw a child who “got his fingers stuck” in between pieces of the bottom part of the slid.

“He was screaming for a moment before I realized what was happening,” she wrote. “I went over and had to push on the panel to bend it back and free his hand.”

Another poster said she witnessed children huddling at the bottom of the tube slide as other children “would come down the slide one right after the other.”

“At one point, I had to make everyone stop because there were so many kids crammed at the bottom there were kids stuck in the slide because of the backup,” she wrote.

Though they have received complaints about the Splash Pad, including kids going down the slide too fast, Wooten said officials have also received comments asking the township not to close the slide because they had not experienced or seen any issues.

West Chester Twp. spent $1.6 million to install a splash pad at Becket Park, which opened earlier this year. The project had seen several delays, as it was initially scheduled to open in 2024.

The design of the Splash Park includes a tube and other slides, as well as other structures, including one for climbing, a tunnel, spray arches, a bridge, and a fountain.

Township officials encourage citizens to submit inquiries or concerns through the community’s online form at www.westchesteroh.org/government/general-government/contact-west-chester.

About the Author