In a recent Walt Disney World lawsuit, a man is now asking for damages after exceeding the weight limit of a Blizzard Beach water slide and falling off his inner tube.
Man Files Lawsuit For Falling Out of Inner Tube
According to an article from local Orlando News 6 WKMG, a man has now filed a lawsuit against Disney for what is being called “dangerous conditions” at Disney’s Blizzard Beach Water Park.
Eugene Strickland visited Blizzard Beach Water Park in July 2021. During his visit, he chose to ride on the Downhill Double Dipper, despite exceeding the slide’s posted weight limit. Strickland reportedly weighed around 334 pounds at the time of the incident, while the Downhill Double Dipper has a weight limit of 300 pounds.
Downhill Double Dipper is a slide at Disney’s Blizzard Beach where guests can race each other in pairs down twin waterslides. Guests are seated on an inner tube and drop down a 50 foot hill. The description of the attraction on the Walt Disney World website describes how guests “plummet 50 feet downhill at exhilarating speeds.”
According to the description in the lawsuit, Strickland became “momentarily airborne” as a result of the slide and his inner tube became dislodged:
While sliding down… (Strickland) became momentarily airborne as a result of the ride’s “exhilarating speeds” and design, resulting on Disney’s inner tube becoming forcibly, suddenly, and unexpectedly dislodged from underneath (Strickland’s) body.
Strickland vs. Disney, via News 6 WKMG
Strickland claims that as a result of his inner tube becoming dislodged, he landed on the surface of the Blizzard Beach slide and is now suffering from “permanent catastrophic injuries.” The public lawsuit does not go into more detail about the nature of these injuries.
Strickland is now suing Disney for negligence and failing to maintain a safe premises, saying the waterside had “dangerous conditions” that were not addressed. His lawsuit is currently asking for over $50,000 in damages.
This is not the first time Walt Disney World has been faced with a lawsuit over its water parks. Just this April, a woman filed a lawsuit after she was struck by a “mammoth” wave in the Surf Pool at Typhoon Lagoon. Back in 2023, a couple also filed a lawsuit against Walt Disney World for a “painful wedgie” after riding Humunga Cowabunga.
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