[ Image : Recalled Banzai inflatable pool slide ]
Walmart and Toys R Us have recalled 21,000 inflatable Banzai in-ground pool water slides, after a 29-year-old Colorado mother died in Andover, Mass. from a broken neck sustained after the slide partially deflated.
The victim hit her head at the bottom of the slide because it had partially deflated. fractured her neck going down the water slide which had been placed over the concrete edge of a pool.
Two other serious injuries have occurred in a similar manner: a 24-year-old man from Springfield, Mo. became a quadriplegic and a woman from Allentown, Pa. fractured her neck.
Not only can the slide can deflate, putting the user at risk of hitting the ground underneath the slide, it is also unstable and can topple over in both still and windy conditions and carries inadequate warnings and instructions.
[ Image : Recalled Banzai in-ground pool slide as sold by Walmart and Toys R Us ]
The recall product was made in China by Manley Toys Ltd and is described as: “…[having] a blue base, yellow sliding mat and an arch going over the top of the slide. By connecting a hose to the top of the slide, water can be sprayed on its downward slope. The words ‘Banzai Splash’ are printed in a circular blue, orange and white logo, shaped like a wave on either side of the slide.
The recalled slides were sold at Walmart and Toys R Us in the USA from January 2005 until June 2009 for about $250. The recalled slides have the barcode number 2675315734 and model number 15734. Both the barcode and model number appear on the original packaging but are not on the actual slide.
Owners of this product are urged to stop its use immediately and return it to the nearest Walmart or Toys R Us for a full refund. Consumers can also cut the two safety warning notices out of the slide and just return that portion.
[ Image : Recalled Banzai pool slide : cut out this portion of the slide for a refund if you do not want carry the whole item back to a store ]
Walmart can be called on telephone number: (800) 925-6278 between 7 a.m. and 9 p.m. CT Monday through Friday. Their website address is: www.walmartstores.com.
Toys R Us can be contacted via telephone number: (800) 869-7787 between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. ET Monday through Saturday and between 10 a.m. and 7 p.m. Sunday. The company’s website address is: www.toysrus.com.