A PARENT has described the "panicked" scenes after an inflatable slide collapsed while children were inside at an indoor play centre in New Brighton.
At around 12.30pm on Saturday, November 18 emergency services were called to Adventureland on Marine Promenade in New Brighton after reports that an inflatable slide had deflated and trapped children.
It was reported that panicked parents were forced to use a knife to "slash open" the slide in order to rescue children who were trapped inside.
Graham Donnelly was one of the parents who witnessed the incident while visiting the play area for his six-year-old son's birthday party.
The dad of one from Bidston told the Globe: “Me and my partner were there hosting a birthday party for our son with all of his school friends.
“Some of them were on the castle when it went down. No one turned it off it just stopped working. There was also no barrier around the slide.”
Merseyside Police, Merseyside Fire & Rescue Service, and North West Ambulance Service all attended the scene of the incident.
A spokesperson from Merseyside Fire & Rescue Service said firefighters entered and confirmed that all persons were accounted for and provided general assistance.
Mr Donnelly added: “After talking to the staff after everything happened we were told that no one was first aid trained, no one has any clue about health and safety and no one has had any training on what to do in an emergency.
“The poor manager, who was around 17-years-old, was standing in and had no clue what to do regarding anything.
“In our party alone there were 28 kids plus the general public and only six or seven young staff members running the place. It was the first day for half of them and after some communication with the owner, he’s still not taking responsibility and seems to be blaming the kids. It’s a joke.”
Since the incident, Wilkie Leisure Group, who own Adventureland, has apologised to its customers stating that a safety barrier had been moved.
In a statement, David Wilkie of Wilkie Leisure Group, said: “Shortly after 12.30pm a visitor to Adventureland - possibly a child - moved a safety barrier and switched off the Pirate Inflatable, causing it to collapse while children were inside.
“Parents naturally panicked and attempted to release their children, with one using a knife to slash the fabric. The fire brigade was called and emergency services attended but left shortly afterward, having investigated, as the cause was discovered.
“Children and parents were left shaken, but no physical harm was reported. All our equipment is safety checked daily. I am very sorry this incident occurred and will take further steps to ensure it can't happen again. Parents are advised to keep sight of their children. Safety is a paramount concern for me. I can be contacted at david@wilkieleisuregroup.co.uk.”
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