Four Drown At Texas Water Park - No Swimming signs Posted

[RamboLiberal]

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/06/17/national/main624289.shtml

Four members of a Chicago church group — including three children — drowned in a Fort Worth water park when one child jumped or slipped into a pool not designed for swimming and the others dived in to try to save her.

The victims were two girls, a boy and a man, all visiting Fort Worth for a bible school convention, reports Bob Crowley of CBS radio affiliate KLBJ-AM. Their hotel pool was closed for cleaning and it's thought that's why the kids went into the Water Gardens' 12-foot-deep center pool.

The Rev. Gerald M. Dew, pastor of Antioch Missionary Baptist Church in Chicago, identified those who drowned Wednesday as Myron Dukes, 35; his daughter Lauren Dukes, 8; his son Christopher Dukes, 13; and an unrelated 11-year-old girl, whose name was not released pending family notification.

The 5.4-acre water garden, across the street from the Fort Worth Convention Center, features waterfalls, plants, fountains and pools. Each minute, 19,000 gallons of water courses through the garden, according to the Fort Worth Convention and Visitors Center.

[PopeyeII]

1. Technically the signs are correct.

They should be posting "NO DROWNING" signs.

[slackmaster]

2. That pool sounds like a public menace...

...based on the description in the article. If it isn't intended or designed for swimming, it shouldn't be dangerous to anyone who might accidentally fall in. A strong swimmer would be in serious danger if the story is accurate. Most of the attractions at water parks are designed for NON-swimmers to use safely.

Very sad story.

[Wonk]

3. Here are some pictures of it

http://msnbc.msn.com/id/5232929/
This article states:

No previous deaths in 30 years
Designed by architects Philip Johnson and John Burgee, the gardens are free to enter and a common refuge from hot Texas days. Each minute, 19,000 gallons of water courses through the garden, according to the Fort Worth Convention and Visitors Center.

but then goes on to contradict itself

Before Wednesday, the park’s most serious accident was in 1991, when an 80-foot light pole fell and killed two people. The city has paid thousands of dollars in claims to visitors injured in falls, the Star-Telegram reported.


http://www.fortworth.com/01visitors/0104parksgard/010405watergardens/010405watergardens.shtml

[Wonk]

4. Another pic, from the movie Logan's Run

[Lamorat]

5. Thing has been around since

1974, and this is the first fatal (drowning) accident. A real bad one, but still. More people have died in Disney parks over that time frame.

I've been to the gardens many times, it's quite amazing.