American Dream mall's DreamWorks Water Park closed through Wednesday after 4 hurt in malfunction
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- The water park at the American Dream Mall will remain closed through Wednesday following a malfunction that injured four people.
Parents expecting to take their kids there for the Presidents Day holiday had to make other plans. The security gate was down Monday and the windows covered with drapes, as the media was kept hundreds of yards away from the front entrance of the park.
"DreamWorks Water Park will be closed Monday, Feb. 20, Tuesday, Feb. 21, and Wednesday, Feb. 22," the mall tweeted Monday. "All guests who have purchased tickets in advance, please check your email for more information."
— American Dream (@americandream) February 20, 2023
Fear and confusion spread across DreamWorks Water Park on Sunday afternoon. New Jersey State Police say a decorative helicopter that was suspended from the ceiling detached and fell into a crowded pool below.
"It was a big boom -- 'boom, boom,' twice," witness Carmen Melendez told CBS2.
Melendez and her 9-year-old son watched in horror as the massive prop fell. She described the moments that followed as "mass panic."
"I just shouted, 'oh my God, oh my God.' I freaked out. I looked over and could see, it looked like the helicopter prop snapped from the wires, because I saw it moving. It was just dangling," she said.
Video shows the subsequent chaos as the park was evacuated. The area where the helicopter fell is reserved for small children, where the water is shallow and parents assume their kids will be safe.
"I was like, that's where the smaller kids were! And then my son started crying, because he started panicking. He said, 'I want to leave, I want to leave, I never want to come back,'" said Melendez. "It was literately so close to the kiddie slides. So close."
Four people were hurt, including a 33-year-old who required hospital care. They're all expected to be OK.
"It was dangling and it snapped from there. I'm thinking, are they checking these things? I know they're supposed to. It was crazy," Melendez said.
That question is a big part of the ongoing investigation, involving State Police and the Department of Community Affairs.
A spokesperson for American Dream Mall told CBS2 in a statement, "The safety of our guests is our highest priority. We will conduct a thorough investigation into this incident to ensure the park meets all safety regulations as required."