A cruise vacation took an unsettling turn aboard Royal Caribbean’s Icon of the Seas when a man suffered injuries due to a compromised waterslide. On Thursday, while at sea, the acrylic glass of the Frightening Bolt slide fractured, reportedly cutting a passenger as he descended the attraction, sources tell Local 10.
Lillian Destefano, a passenger who witnessed the event, relayed, "When the other gentleman went down, it sliced him ... and then glass fell and the water gushed." Thankfully, she added, "No one fell through. Thank God!" The ship, which embarked on its voyage just over a year ago, is set to return to PortMiami today following the incident, according to Local 10. The slide has been closed, subsequently pending the findings of an ongoing inquiry into what exactly transpired, Royal Caribbean has conveyed.
In an episode that has raised concerns over the safety of onboard amusements, a Royal Caribbean Group spokesperson offered insights to Fox News Digital, confirming that "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 injured individual has been treated, they affirmed, and is in stable condition following the unforeseen breakage.
Videos, purportedly showing the chaotic moments post-accident with water gushing from the damaged slide, were circulated on social media and helped illustrate the severity of the situation. Royal Caribbean assures that the water slide will remain nonoperational for the balance of the sailing, as officials work diligently to comprehend how the structural integrity of the slide's acrylic glass came to be compromised, and to implement measures necessary for preventing such an occurrence in the future.
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