Want to Walk on Water? Think Again Before Getting in a 'Water Ball'
Product not worth the fun, could lead to serious injury, CPSC says.
April 1, 2011— -- Who hasn't dreamed of being able to walk on water? And at many amusement parks, sporting venues, and shopping malls, consumers have been able to do just that inside "water walking balls" -- large, inflatable, transparent plastic balls that a person can climb into, literally to walk on the water's surface.
The water walking balls have numerous brand and ride names, and can be found in watering holes and swimming spots around the nation. Some homeowners even have them in their backyard pools.
But now the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is asking consumers to stop using the balls. It says it has serious safety concerns.
Think of it as being locked inside your own personal beach ball. A person climbs into the ball, the ball is inflated with a blower through a zipper opening, and the zipper is then closed, making the ball airtight. It has five to seven minutes of oxygen inside. The ball and its passenger can be rolled around on surfaces such as grass, ice or water. Some people try to walk in them.
However, the ball has no emergency exit and can only be opened by a person outside the ball. The CPSC says that pre-existing medical conditions such as heart, lung and respiratory difficulties can be made worse by using these water balls.
"Water balls are being used chiefly as entertainment rides for children," CPSC spokesman Carl Purvis says. "And we want to make an all-out effort to alert consumers before someone is seriously hurt or there is a fatality."
The CPSC says that there are serious risks associated with a water ball. Because the ball is airtight, oxygen inside is quickly depleted and carbon monoxide accumulates. The balls have no padding, so injuries can occur if the balls collide or fall out of a pool onto a hard surface.
Since the balls are also used on open water, they could be struck by watercraft or hit solid objects such as a pier.
"There is a potential for drowning if the ball develops a leak or a puncture," says Purvis.
Walking on Water? CPSC Says It's Risky
According to the CPSC, there have been two reported incidents involving the product. In one, a five-year-old child in Massachusetts was found unresponsive after a short period inside a water ball. In the second incident, a person inside a ball suffered a fracture when the ball fell out of an above-ground pool onto the ground. Several states have already banned the water balls and have denied permits for rides that use the product.
The owner of a water park in South Carolina, who asked that his name not be used, told ABC News.com that he has used the water balls for three years and there have been no injuries or complaints. He says that he requires his customers to be at least five years old, and has a weight and height requirement.
"I don't let customers use the ball for more than three minutes," he said. But now, with the CPSC's new warning, he said he is going to change his operating procedures.
"I am not going to use them until they come up with some type of regulations. I won't re-open until they come up with some guidelines."