Drenched

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Drenched

Oakwood Theme Park Location Narberth, Pembrokeshire, Wales, UK Coordinates 51.7794012°N 4.8017804°W / 51.7794012; -4.8017804 Status Operating since 1 June 2002 Cost £1.25 million
Statistics
Manufacturer	Intamin
Product	Mega Splash
Capacity	24 riders per boat
Height	36.9 metres
Speed	80 km/h
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Drenched is a Shoot The Chute ride located at Oakwood Theme Park in Narberth, Pembrokeshire, Wales, UK. Opened in 2002, it is a Mega Splash model by Intamin.

History

The attraction, originally called Hydro, opened to the public in 2002. In 2011, the name was changed to Drenched. Drenched was 1 of 3 Mega Splash models built by Intamin and is the only Mega Splash left in operation worldwide.

Design

The ride is 36.9 metres tall and has a drop at an angle of 85 degrees. The car reaches a maximum speed of 80 km/h. It has a single car which seats 24 riders, held in by over-the-shoulder harnesses.

Incident

On 15 April 2004, 16-year-old Hayley Williams died after falling 100 feet from the attraction. A 10-year-old boy was hit by Williams as she fell and was subsequently hospitalized with head injuries. Hydro remained closed for the rest of the 2004 season while an investigation was carried out. Prior to its reopening in 2005, the original lap-bars and seatbelts were replaced with over-the-shoulder harnesses. Another Intamin Shoot-the-Chutes ride, Perilous Plunge at Knott's Berry Farm in California had already had its restraints modified after a woman fell to her death from the attraction in September 2001.

An investigation into the incident found that Williams was not properly restrained. CCTV footage also revealed that restraints were regularly not checked by the ride operators. In December 2008, the park was fined £250,000 and forced to pay an additional £80,000 in costs.

Images

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  One of the current ride vehicles