According to the police, seven people were injured in an accident in the largest amusement park in Germany, the Europa-Park in Rust near Freiburg – five artists and two visitors. A spokeswoman said three of them had been taken to the hospital. Initially, there was talk of four people affected. According to the park spokesman, a pool of water ruptured and the diving towers attached to it collapsed. Several media had previously reported on the event.
According to the spokesman, a mobile swimming pool of the “high diving show “Retorno dos Piratas”” had opened through a crack during a performance. The water flowed into the lake of the “Atlantica SuperSplash” water ride attraction. Platforms up to 25 meters high are mounted on the water basin, from which acrobats jump. Because there was no stability after the water escaped, the scaffolding collapsed. Various parts of the scenery then floated in the basin of the water ride.
Platforms up to 25 meters high collapsed
It was initially unclear where exactly the injured were at the time of the accident. The park spokesman initially reported only one injured visitor who suffered a minor abrasion. Later there was also talk of two injured artists.
“Retorno dos Piratas” is about high diving acrobats who plunge from dizzying heights into the depths. Ten international athletes are to show extraordinary stunts – including fire – by September 3rd. “The extreme athletes perform several times a day and present classic dives, synchronized jumps and comedic interludes,” the park announced in May. The water basin is only 3.20 meters deep.
“An impassable island with huge cliffs juts out of the ocean,” reports the park on its website about the approximately 20-minute show in the Portugal theme area. “There, rough-necked pirates vie for a mysterious hidden treasure that rests at the bottom of the sea.”
Germany’s largest amusement park
The “Atlantica SuperSplash” water ride should be back in operation shortly, the spokesman said. During the summer season, Europa-Park is open daily from 9 a.m. to at least 6 p.m. It is Germany’s largest amusement park. Last year, more than six million people came to the facility with roller coasters and other attractions in the Ortenau district near the German-French border – that was a record.
Almost two months ago, there was a fire in the “Yomi Magical World of Diamonds”. According to the findings at the time, a technical defect may have triggered the fire. An expert report on the cause of the fire was commissioned. Two firefighters were slightly injured in a large-scale operation involving hundreds of rescue workers. Two family attractions ran through the damaged building: the “Alpenexpress “Enzian”” and the “Tiroler Wildwasserbahn”.
