A giant slide in Detroit was forced to close after a matter of hours due to serious safety concerns, Deadline Detroit reports.
The slide, named Belle Isle, had recently been reopened on Friday (August 19) after a hiatus following the pandemic. However, when the first riders began sliding down, it soon became apparent that they were going too fast.
As a consequence, the slide had to be closed - within just four hours of reopening.
Videos circulating online show riders flying down the giant slide at a dangerous pace that, as the Detroit Free Press reported, was allegedly due to a fresh coat of wax.
The slide reopened again on Saturday (August 20) after the Department of Natural Resources attempted to ameliorate the situation by adding more wax. Sadly, that didn't seem to help, as the huge attraction was forced to shut down again after more riders complained about the high speeds.
Todd Schultz, a parks and recreation manager for the Department of Natural Resources, commented on the closures, stating that they had worked on fixing the issue and would be set to reopen this week.
"[We have] scrubbed down the surface and started to spray a little water on the slide between rides to help control the speed. It seems to be working well so please come out and give it a try," the manager told local news outlet Click On Detroit.
It was revealed that the slide would be reopening on Friday (August 26), and that riders would be able to experience the slide for themselves between 11:00AM and 3:00PM all weekend.
However, with the internet being the internet, the giant attraction garnered a lot of attention online.
In fact, riders and passers-by couldn't help but find the situation a little funny, posting TikTok videos documenting the unfortunate series of events.
An unfortunate slider was seen on a video bouncing in the air twice and not exactly enjoying the softest of landings. The TikTok concludes with one of the woman's kids asking: "Mom, are you okay?"
One helpful TikTok, which was liked by over 1 million users, showed a ranger demonstrating how to ride down the slide without ending up airborne.
In the video, he explains that the key to a good experience on the Belle Isle slide is to "lean forward" and to remain in that position the whole time.
TikTok users flooded the comments section with hilarious musings, with one person commenting: "I'm opening 3 businesses next to this park. A lawyer office, insurance company, and medical supplies shop. Crutches and wheelchair [sic]."
"I fractured my tailbone just watching this," someone else chimed in.
Another user couldn't help but comment on the instructional video, stating: "This can't be the same slide [because] folks were FLYING [crying laughing emoji]."
Well, despite a very slippery start, the Belle Isle slide will hopefully be welcoming brave visitors back this coming Friday... unless they have to close the slide again, that is!
