Changes Made to Detroit Slide, Officials Say, After Concerns Over Safety

Officials at Belle Isle Park in Detroit, Michigan, say changes have been made to the park’s Giant Slide after videos from Friday, August 19 – the day it reopened – showed children flying into air and landing down hard, sparking concerns over safety.

Though no injuries were reported, park officials closed the slide just hours after it had opened and said they were “going to be making some adjustments to the speed that we have seen users coming down.”

On Sunday, the park said they had “scrubbed down the surface and started to spray a little water on the slide between rides to help control the speed” and posted this video showing a park employee demonstrating “how to ride the Giant Slide.”

Though rainy weather kept the slide closed that Sunday, the park urged people to try it out over the two weekends ahead. Credit: Belle Isle Park, Michigan via Storyful

Video transcript

- Hey, welcome to Belle Isle. I'm going to show you how to ride the giant slide. So first thing's going to take a seat on the steel. We don't want you to slip on the slide before you're ready. And then your whole body, as much of it as you can, into the sack.

Wait for if you have any other riders. Wait for the ranger to say a go ahead. And then scooch on your butt, hold on tight. Biggest thing is you got to lean forward, and stay leaning forward, and hold on tight.

Hey, welcome to Belle Isle. I'm going to show you how to ride the giant slide. So first thing's going to take a seat on the steel. We don't want you to slip on the slide before you're ready. Then your whole body, as much of it as you can, into the sack.

Wait for if you have any other riders. Wait for the ranger to say a go ahead. And then scooch on your butt, hold on tight. Biggest thing is you got to lean forward, and stay leaning forward, and hold on tight.