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AT RISK
AT RISK is the regular feature which highlights recent news
stories about some of the accidents, injuries and legal disputes
that occur in the sport and leisure world. Risk is present in our
everyday lives evenwhenwe are playing sport and having fun.
Here we report some of themore tragic and bizarre events that
lead to loss, injury and sometimes even death in our industry.
AT RISK
TRAMPOLINE PARK INJURIES TRIGGER
HUNDREDS OF EMERGENCY CALLS
More than 300 ambulances have been called to
trampoline parks in the UK in a year. One park, Flip Out
Stoke, called out an ambulance an average of more than
once a week, and its parent company is the subject of a
series of law suits.
Suspected broken limbs were the top reason for call-
outs, with broken legs the most common. The other top
five injuries were to the spine, head, back and foot.
The British Standards Institution has now published
its first set of standards for trampoline parks, and
operators insist that the number of injuries is very small
relative to the total number of users.
The figures show Flip Out Stoke had the highest rate
of call-outs among the trusts reporting, with paramedics
responding 17 times in 109 days – once every six days
– since its opening in December 2015. The park is a
franchise of the same company behind Flip Out Chester,
where an investigation is under way after three people
broke their backs in a single day jumping into a foam pit.
Flip Out, which has since closed the Jump Tower
section of the Chester park, says the call-out rates should
be taken in the context of the number of users. The
Chester site has recorded 200,000 visits already since it
opened in December 2016.
The proliferation of parks in the UK was inspired by
a craze that started in 2004 in the United States. By
November 2015, 37 had opened in the UK, rising to 110 by
November 2016, and 144 in early March 2017.
By Easter 2017, it is estimated that there will be 150
parks in operation across the UK, with at least 15 million
visitors per year.
DEATHOF BOAT DRIVER
IN SKI RACE
Aman, 50, who was driving a boat at a ski race, died
when he was flung fromhis seat after it hit a pocket of air
and flipped 360 degrees.
The boat then landed on the driver and although he
was pulled from the water unconscious, and emergency
services were on the scene within 15minutes they were
unable to resuscitate theman.
A female observer, aged in her 20s, suffered a neck injury.
The incident occurred just after 1.20pmduring themain
race of the Southern 80.
Ski Racing Australia reported the deadman was David
Morabito, 50, of Grose Vale in suburban Sydney.
Officers fromDeniliquin Local Area Command are
investigating the circumstances surrounding the crash
and said a report will be prepared for the information of the
Coroner.