Rapids Water Park in Riviera Beach went from summer playground to crime scene perimeter on Tuesday afternoon, after staff received a bomb threat that forced a full evacuation and shut down operations in the middle of the day.
Guests and employees were hustled out of the park while police and emergency crews fanned out across the property, closing the entrance and pausing every attraction as they searched for any sign of danger.
According to WPTV, the threat came in by telephone at about 12:15 p.m. Park personnel immediately alerted law enforcement officers who were already on site, and those officers quickly called in backup from the Riviera Beach Police Department for a coordinated sweep of the grounds.
In a statement to WPTV, the park said, “The safety and well‑being of our guests and employees is our highest priority.” The park added that it would reopen only after a full safety inspection and once authorities concluded it was safe to resume operations.
Per the attraction’s official site, the park was listed as closed for July 14, and the contact page provides a guest relations number for questions about tickets and refunds. Guests with reservations were advised to check the schedule online or call guest relations for updates, according to Rapids Water Park.
Other Parks Rattled By Similar Calls
Rapids is not the only water park dealing with this kind of scare. In recent days, other big splash spots have been emptied after phoned-in threats that later turned out to be unfounded.
On July 11, a call forced the evacuation of Water World near Denver, sending families out of the park while police ran a multi-agency search of the property. CBS Colorado reported that officers ultimately secured the park after finding no credible threat.
Just two days earlier, on July 9, Wild Island in Sparks, Nevada was briefly cleared out after a similar report. Police later determined the threat was unfounded. “Police tell us they’ve actually seen an increase in this type of swatting call,” 2 News reported.
For now, Rapids is sticking to its safety-first script, saying it will reopen only after law enforcement finishes the inspection and gives the official all clear. Until then, would-be riders are urged to check Rapids Water Park or call guest relations for the latest on tickets and reopening information.
